A THEATRE which recently underwent a £10 million refurbishment project has received a further cash injection of £125,000 to help the venue reopen following the coronavirus lockdown.

The Mercury Theatre in Colchester has received the grant from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The money will be used to support the theatre’s salaries and running costs as the venue prepares to reopen.

It will also assist with the purchase of specialist equipment to provide a Covid-safe environment for audiences.

Due to the pandemic, in the past year the Mercury has lost £3 million in income and as the building remains closed for the next quarter, the theatre has no means to generate income through ticket sales.

The effects of the pandemic directly extended the completion date of the theatre’s extensive revamp, following 18 months of construction work.

Steve Mannix, the Mercury’s executive director, said of the award: “Having come so far in such a challenging period we are incredibly grateful that this grant will help us make it through this first quarter of the financial year while we must remain closed.

“We are now in the final stages of fully completing this vital transformation to this wonderful theatre and are incredibly excited to be planning our reopening this summer.

“We are beyond thrilled that we are so close to welcoming our audiences and returning to making a vital contribution to the economy of Colchester.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Colchester Council, other arts and heritage organisations and the business community to help the town’s economy recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic.

“The public have been incredibly generous in their support of our fundraising efforts throughout our Mercury Rising campaign, for which we truly thank them.”

Colchester’s Firstsite art gallery will receive almost £700,000 from the funding pot, while The Headgate Theatre has received a grant of £60,175.

The announcement was welcomed by the volunteer team running the 87-seat Headgate Theatre in the town centre, which has had no income from performances since the first lockdown.

The money will cover the costs of maintaining the building and some of the overheads, while meeting some of the costs of reopening for an autumn programme.

Malcolm Kimmance, chairman of trustees said: “This money is an absolute lifeline for a small theatre venue such as ours.

“The support for The Headgate from our patrons, hirers and volunteers has been outstanding ever since we opened almost 20 years ago, and over the last 12 months it has been exceptional.”