ANOTHER UK premiere, international collaborations and, of course, the ever-popular return of the pantomime.

While the Mercury may have been without its artistic director, it is still on course to serve up another great season of shows.

Exciting times lie ahead for the Mercury Theatre with the new leadership team of artistic director Daniel Buckroyd and executive director Theresa Veith set to start over the coming weeks, but before all of that, staff have another autumn season to get ready for.

Former artistic director, and chief executive, Dee Evans, left in January and it’s been left to Mercury Theatre associate director, Tony Casement, to programme the company’s new shows.

Teaming up with Tinderbox and Mumbai-based Rage Productions, the first company production of the season will be Hard Places by Farhad Sorabjee. It will take place in the Studio Theatre from September 5 to 15.

That is followed with another co-production, this time with Volcano, Necessary Angel and Wolfgang Hoffmann, who present Nassim Soleimanpour’s controversial play, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, from October 23 to 27, again in the Studio.

Forbidden to travel from his native Iran, Nassim Soleimanpour has created a play that requires no director, no set and a different actor for each performance. The actor knows nothing of the production prior to their arrival at the theatre to perform it.

Company actors taking part include Tomos James, Tim Treslove, Emily Woodward, Kelly Williams and Tony Casement.

Tony says: “Recent productions, such as Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Wretch, have toured parts of Europe and enhanced the reputation of the Mercury Theatre Company on an international level. These plays will continue this work.

“Hard Places will see the work of the company showcased in India. It also offers us a chance to expand our outreach work, with young people developing their own pieces of new writing, some of which will be produced in our studio alongside the play.

“White Rabbit Red Rabbit gives us the opportunity to do something we have never done before and offer both actors and our audiences a completely new and unique experience.”

In the main house, the company begins with Joseph Kesselring’s Arsenic and Old Lace, perhaps most famous for the film starring Cary Grant.

Directed by Tony, it runs from October 4 to 20. Then from November 1 to 17, Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls re-unites director Gari Jones with his actress wife Amanda Haberland, following their recent success with Absent Friends, along with other familiar faces, Clare Humphrey, Nadia Morgan and Shuna Snow.

Finally, no autumn season would be complete without the Mercury’s annual yuletide treat, which this year is Jack and the Beanstalk.

Once again written and directed by Janice Dunn, it runs from December 7 to January 12.

Tickets for all of the new season productions go on general sale from 10am on July 2, from the box office on 01206 573948 and online at www.mercury theatre.co.uk