THEATRE bosses will be serving up a Easter weekend treat when they stream a recording of a popular pantomime.

Cinderella was shown at The Mercury Theatre pop-up home at Abbey Field last year.

This weekend the theatre will show the panto, which was filmed back in December, to spread some joy during the lockdown.

Last year the team streamed it to Colchester Hospital, care homes and hospices across the town.

Panto-lovers will be able to enjoy the show from the comfort of their own living rooms when it is shown via Youtube on Saturday at 3pm.

The theatre will also offer a design your own ticket template and character themed colouring in sheet on its website.

Viewers will be encouraged to tweet along using the hashtag #MagicToDo.

Mercury Theatre’s creative director Ryan McBryde said: "Every year our Christmas pantomime brings our community together to cheer the good guys, boo the bad guys, scream at the monsters and laugh at the chaos created by the slosh scene. It’s a magical, shared experience.

"To banish the lockdown blues this Easter weekend, as part of our Mercury Online programme, we're proud to stream our production of Cinderella, so that friends and families can watch and experience the fun and magic once again, together, but from the comfort of their own homes."

Tracey Childs, Mercury Theatre executive producer, added: "We’re so grateful to all of our magnificent cast and creatives for allowing this recording of Cinderella to be shown.

"They, along with our amazing Mercury Team, created one of the funniest, most inspiring, breath-taking, silly pantomimes that it has been our pride and pleasure to produce and we’re thrilled that even more people now have the opportunity to enjoy it, safely from their sofa."

The live stream has been made possible by digital producer Ben Pugh, and will remain on the Mercury’s YouTube page for one week.

The live stream is part of the #MercuryOnline programme, launched in response to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Those taking part can enjoy masterclasses, storytimes and singalongs every week online.

All the activities are free but the Mercury is asking people to support the theatre where they can by donating online at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/support or by texting MERCURY to 70085 to give £5.