A BUZZING theatre which is “bursting at the seams” has launched a campaign to raise the final £1.7million needed for massive redevelopment.

Colchester’s Mercury Theatre held on open day on Saturday, marking the launch of a public consultation and a fundraising campaign.

Plans were laid out which will “transform” the appearance and function of the theatre over the next four years.

In January an £8.7million plan to overhaul its buildings and site was announced, hoping to create a learning and participation centre and impro ve audience and production facilities.

Much of the new building will have increased visibility to passing shoppers , with glass walls offering a view of rehearsals, costume and set design.

With support from Arts Council England, Colchester Council and Essex County Council, the Mercury has already raised £7million.

The Mercury Rising campaign hopes to inspire trusts, foundations, businesses, and the local community to help raise the final £1.7million.

Steve Mannix, Mercury Theatre chief executive, said the theatre also hoped to employ an extra 28 people per year ahead of the new facility opening in 2020.

A planned nine-month closure of the building looks set to take place in early 2019, during which the theatre will find another venue to operate from.

Mr Mannix said: “We haven’t had any significant capital investment since 1972.

“We are bursting at the seams.

“We’ve got no on site community or education space, it’s a space that is absolutely desperately needed in Colchester for people to gather.

“Our production office and our wardrobe are in the old vicarage at the back of us, so that site is absolutely impor tant to us to make sure the productions that you see retain the quality and also to offer new training and new apprenticeship opportunities .

“This September we are launching a new Technical Theatre degree in partnership with Colchester Institute for youngsters to learn the skills of technical theatre.

“We’ll be able to host at least ten new organisations in the building that are just starting out on their journey.

“We want to make sure we build the most sustainable building as well, we now have solar panels on the roof hopefully in future we’ll put more on - we want to get to a zero carbon position in the next few years.

“We want it to be simple to run, achievable in terms of its construction - it will be in several phases.

“We also want to make it accessible.

“Not all areas of building are accessible so we want to make sure it is to anybody of any age.

“Particularly having an education space that’s safe, that’ s welcoming for children and young people to participate in those after school activities .

“We want to make it cost effective - want to make sure we can run the building for the future from the resources that we’ve got at the moment.

“We don’t want to be any further drain on the public purse, but equally we want to make sure that we are not building something that we cannot afford.

“We want to make sure there is a sense that today we are building something that has life to it, that has a longevity.”

Daniel Buckroyd, artistic director at the theatre, said: “Last year we played to 78 per cent capacity - the national average is 59 per cent, so we are really on a roll and that is what is driving the need for this project.

“It’s about securing the building for future generations .”

The open day was followed by a national launch of the Mercury Rising funraising campaign, including a new website, at the House of Commons yesterday.

Colchester MP Will Quince said: “The reason I am so keen to support this project is because the Mercury is one of the jewels in Colchester’s crown.

“This will inspire more children and young people to get involved in theatre, take their talents all around the country and hopefully put Colchester on the map."