25.14°C Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender takes place from 23rd-26th July, bringing four days of theatre, comedy, spoken word, drag, cabaret and live performance to venues across Colchester.
The festival takes over venues across the city, with performances at The Mercury Theatre Studio, Three Wise Monkeys, Coda, Patch, Roots & Grooves Cafe, The Dragonfly Lounge and The Minories Garden.
The programme features everything from award-winning solo theatre and contemporary storytelling to stand-up comedy, spoken word, physical theatre and late-night cabaret. Whether you’re planning to spend the whole weekend exploring the Fringe or simply looking for a show or two, there is plenty to discover.
Theatre and Storytelling
The theatre programme covers a broad mix of subjects and styles.
At The Mercury Theatre Studio, award-winning solo show A Year and a Day follows Nathan, a man cursed to leap a year and a day into the future every time he falls asleep. Also at The Mercury Theatre Studio, Breathe… explores how a couple respond when faced with life-changing news, while One Man Poe: The Black Cat and The Raven brings two of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous works to the stage through a solo performance steeped in a gothic atmosphere.
At Three Wise Monkeys, Offgridland combines music, humour and family dynamics in a story about a family attempting to live away from modern society. The venue also hosts Delusions and Grandeur, which introduces audiences to an ageing actor determined to tell his story, and Pup Play: A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts), a blend of theatre, humour and discussion exploring queer identity and community.
Boudica & Me: A Guide to Carrying Your Fire appears at both Patch and Roots & Grooves Cafe, combining history and personal storytelling, while The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen comes to The Dragonfly Lounge, telling the remarkable story of William Dorsey Swann, widely recognised as America’s first drag queen and an important figure in LGBTQ+ history.
At The Minories Garden, Three Wise Women uses movement, physical theatre and humour to explore friendship, resilience and ageing in an outdoor setting.
Comedy Across the Weekend
Comedy runs throughout the Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender, with a mix of stand-up, character comedy and work-in-progress performances.
Three Wise Monkeys hosts Adam Larter’s Who Remembers the 90s?, while Coda welcomes Dr. Jansen Majenkas: Con(spiracy) Man, Rocket Fan from Alice Keys and Katie Pritchard’s musical comedy show What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Funnier.
Kate-Lois Elliott: TRAD (Work In Progress) appears at both The Dragonfly Lounge and Coda, while 10 Things They Hate About Me is staged at Patch and Roots & Grooves Cafe.
Audiences can also catch Will Davies: Heroic Scale at Patch and Roots & Grooves Cafe, while Having a Bubble Comedy Club appears at both Patch and Coda with a changing line-up of performers from across the festival.
The comedy programme concludes with Sunday Roast @ Fringe! at The Dragonfly Lounge, bringing performers together for one final afternoon of laughs.
Poetry, Spoken Word and Cabaret
Poetry and spoken word are represented by two distinctive shows.
James Domestic: Poetry For People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry! comes to Roots & Grooves Cafe, introducing audiences to contemporary poetry through humour, storytelling and performance.
Meanwhile, The Cult Kid and Me: My Villain Origin Story by Molly Naylor appears at both Patch and Roots & Grooves Cafe, combining poetry and personal storytelling to explore childhood, identity and belonging.
For those looking for something a little different, Final Queen comes to The Dragonfly Lounge, bringing together drag, circus, comedy and theatrical storytelling in a show that has already built a strong reputation on the Fringe circuit.
At Three Wise Monkeys, The Late Night Cabaret Club offers a changing mix of comedy, drag, music and surprises, while Music Bingo at The Dragonfly Lounge forms part of the Fringe Club programme, providing a more informal late-night gathering for audiences and performers.
Around the City
One of the attractions of the Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender is the opportunity to experience performances in a variety of venues.
Across four days, audiences can move between The Mercury Theatre Studio, Three Wise Monkeys, Coda, Patch, Roots & Grooves Cafe, The Dragonfly Lounge and The Minories Garden, with each space bringing its own atmosphere to the programme.
From intimate theatre and spoken word performances to packed comedy rooms and outdoor physical theatre, the festival makes use of some of Colchester’s best-loved cultural and independent venues.
Tickets
Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender takes place from 23rd-26th July 2026.
Full programme details and ticket information are available here.
