My name is Korben Symmonds and I have just completed a work experience week here at the Mercury Theatre. During my placement I was given the task of writing a review of the Mercury Voices exhibition and of the show Spamalot, enjoy!
Review of Mercury Voices exhibition
As I looked around the room, my eyes were greeted with the colourful frames of information on the walls. I decided to take a closer look and I read the captions on the frames. My mind was fed with the knowledge on the origins of the theatre, with the dates going back as far as the early 1970s. The artistic drawings gave me the feel of what the theatre looked like when it was first built.
Also on the wall were action shots of some of the shows, which gave loads of colour to the room. The centerpiece of the room was a glass-covered, wooden table filled with old booklets, scripts and music sheets that told me about the some of the shows that were produced in the past.
At the far end of the room, there was another table with newspapers explaining to me what the theatre was like as a whole in the 90s. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and I would highly recommend it for people who like the local history of Colchester and would wish to know more about the theatre.
This exhibition has been made as part of an archive project by the theatre
You can find this gallery in the Mercury Theatre in Colchester.
Review of Spamalot
There can be only one word I can use to describe the Mercury Theatre’s production of Spamalot… hilarious; from the fourth wall breaks to the historical references, it was funny.
The actors portrayed their characters brilliantly, showing the audience their personality with their speech; Bob Harms Arthur sounded official and a little bit arrogant, and Daniel Cane brilliantly portrayed a cowardly Sir Robin.
The transitions from scene to scene were smooth, and the narrative was clear from the beginning to the end.
The jokes in the play were very comical, the fourth wall breaks and adult humour were delivered well with a short laugh from the audience for most of them. Although this is the reason why I do not recommend this show for children, as they may be some awkward questions during and after the show.
The costumes really suit the period of time the play was set in, this gave the play a more realistic feel, and however the few contemporary props really gave the show a modern twist.
Finally, I want to say a very well done to all of the actors, tech crew members, and everyone else who helped to put on such a great show, and a word of advice, watch out for the rabbit!
I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff at the Mercury, and that I have had such a nice time here.
Thank you for your time,
Korben Symmonds
Korben is a member of our Aspire, Share, Create Youth Theatre for young people aged 14-18 years with an Autism Spectrum Condition. Click here for more information.
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