Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Mercury Theatre is Colchester's main producing theatre, opened in 1972 beside Balkerne Gate, the largest surviving Roman gateway in Britain. It takes its name from a small Roman bronze of the god Mercury found near the town, and it sits on one of the most historic corners of Colchester, next to the Roman wall and the Victorian water tower known as Jumbo.

The story behind it

The theatre was named after a Roman bronze statue of Mercury, found in a field a few miles from the site. The figure is only about 20 cm tall, yet it is regarded as one of the finest Roman bronzes unearthed in Britain. The original is kept in Colchester Castle Museum, while a copy is displayed at the theatre.

The ground around it is older still. Colchester was the first Roman town in Britain, and Balkerne Gate guarded its western approach. Around AD 60, Queen Boudicca led the tribes of eastern Britain against the town and burned it before moving on to St Albans and London. The town was rebuilt, and the gate and walls remain as evidence of it.

Close by stands the Balkerne Water Tower, built in the early 1880s from about 1.2 million bricks. Locals call it Jumbo. The story goes that the rector of nearby St Mary-at-the-Walls, Reverend John Irvine, hated the tower rising beside his rectory and mocked it with the name of the huge elephant at London Zoo. The nickname stuck, and the town adopted it with affection.

What to look for

• The statue of Mercury on the theatre building, which the route creators describe as a copy of the Renaissance figure by Giambologna.
• The remains of Balkerne Gate just beside the theatre, where you can see how large a Roman town entrance could be.
• The stretch of Roman town wall running nearby, which shows how the old town was enclosed.
• The bulk of Jumbo the water tower on the skyline, and the sheer amount of brickwork in its walls.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to see the theatre exterior, the gate and the tower, longer if you add a show or a stroll along the wall.
• The gate and tower can be seen from outside at any time of day, and light in the late afternoon suits photographs of the brickwork.
• Check current opening hours if you want to go inside the theatre or see the Mercury copy.
• To see the original bronze Mercury, head to Colchester Castle Museum, a short walk away. Check current admission details first.

See it on a quest

Exodus Hinge & Colchester’s Lost Centurion: Roman Britain Walking Tour & Escape Game is a good way to meet this corner of town. You reach the Mercury Theatre and Balkerne Gate on foot as one stop on a longer Roman route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Colchester suits you if you prefer a mystery to a history lesson. It is a self-guided walk through the streets, so you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. The app shares the story of each place you reach and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.