IF you thought about going away this summer - don't bother, because the Mercury has summer all covered.

Following last year's inaugural season of shows, the Colchester theatre has built on that success with a bumper programme of events from live music, magic, drama and family fun.

The flagship of the summer season will once again be the family show, which this year is Wind in the Willows.

Like last year's hugely popular James and the Giant Peach it will be directed by Matthew Cullum and will star one of Colchester's most popular actors Dale Superville, who will be back again this Christmas for the Mercury pantomime, which is Dick Whittington.

It runs from July 29 to August 21 on various nights where it will be interspersed by a number of one-nighters.

This spring season has seen more one night shows than ever before at the Mercury and that will continue throughout the summer with highlights including evenings with one of the country's top comedian's Josh Widdicombe, broadcaster and writer Germaine Greer and football managers Barry Fry and Ron Atkinson.

Musical tribute nights will also feature with nights dedicated to the music of The Who, Roy Orbison and even a show dedicated to the music made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

But there's also some high class drama to be had with the return of Birdsong and their production of Shadowlands, which tells the heart-warming love story between C S Lewis and Joy Gresham and cutting-edge theatre in the Studio space with Fabric, a new play by emerging writer Abi Zakarian.

Before all of that in June the Mercury hands over its theatres to the local community for its Lights Up Festival.

As with last year a whole host of local dance and drama schools, musicians and organisations have put together their own shows to entertain the crowds.

That includes Stagecoach on June 10, the Colchester Scout and Guiding movement's Gangshow on June 16 to 18, and Theatricool's Disney's Alice in Wonderland Junior on June 26.

There's also music from Clacton's Adrian Nation on June 21 and poems, stories and songs from Wivenhoe's Martin Newell on June 18.

And if that wasn't enough the Mercury's Young Company will be performing a site-specific Romeo and Juliet at St Martin's Church from August 19 to 28.

For more information on all these shows either go on-line at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01206 573948.