SPRING may have only just sprung but the Mercury Theatre in Colchester are already looking forward to a summer of toe-tapping beats, plenty of belly laughs and long lost lands.

Well one long lost it has to be said but perhaps the most famous of them all, Neverland.

That's the destination of the Mercury's big family draw for the new season, Peter Pan, which will bring together both the theatre's artistic director, Daniel Buckroyd, and the man behind the last two smash hit summer shows, Matt Culham.

With the penning of this year's pantomime fresh in his mind, Daniel is looking forward to working with Matt.

He says: "We last worked together on a production of Friend or Foe, which Matt then re-mounted here at the Mercury.

"I'm really looking forward to working with him again. Matt is particularly brilliant at staging those detailed physical set scenes of which there are plenty of in Peter Pan."

Matt adds: "I've been lucky enough to collaborate with Daniel on a whole variety of story-telling projects. He is a master storyteller and he's precisely the person you want at your side when you dare to venture into Neverland."

Interspersed around the mainly day time shows of Peter Pan, which runs from July 28 to August 26, will be a whole host of star names arriving for a series of high profile one-nighters.

That includes Audiences with the likes of funnyman Arthur Smith, award-winning broadcaster Jenni Murray and one time pop star and now witty man of the cloth, the Rev Richard Coles.

There will also be an evening with DJ Johnnie Walker talking about the story of pirate radio and telly historian Lucy Worsley with her Jane Austen at Home show.

Before that running in May and June, the Colchester theatre has lined-up one of the most eclectic programmes of one-nighters including tributes to Status Quo and Genesis, stand-ups Stewart Lee and Susan Calman, a home staging for the Mercury's schools show this year, Farm Boy, as well as a night of Chinese music, ballet and a parody of hit television show, Game of Thrones, ingeniously titled Graeme of Thrones.

As in previous years the Mercury is also playing host to some seriously good local talent as well which will include welcome returns from singer/songwriter Adrian Nation, Wivenhoe poet Martin Newell, as well as shows from Colchester Institute, the Lorraine School of Dance, Colchester Operatic Society, and of course the annual Scout Gang Show.

Bookending the summer season will be two cracking pieces of drama, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, which is being directed by Douglas Rintoul, who grew up in Colchester and is currently artistic director at the Queens Theatre in Hornchurch. That runs from May 29 to June 3.

The other side of the summer months will see a co-production with the Mercury and English Touring Theatre of Conor McPherson’s chilling, modern classic The Weir.

Winner of the 1997 Olivier Award for Best New Play, The Weir runs at the Mercury from September 8 to 16, before embarking on its first ever UK tour.

For more information on any of these shows, or to book tickets, call 01206 573948 or go on-line at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk