THESE people would normally be conducting important business meetings, lecturing students or standing in the general election.

But in a couple of weeks, some of the town’s biggest movers and shakers will be seen in a very different light at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre.

This is Just the Biz, subtitled Colchester’s Maybe Got Talent, is a variety show which will not only reveal some very hidden talent, but also raise money for a good cause.

It forms part of Mosaic Publicity’s tenth anniversary celebrations, which has already included a clothes swap and a masked ball, all of which has been raising money to help the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association put two guide dog puppies through training.

At the beginning of the year, Mosaic pledged to raise £10,000 and have already reached the impressive total of £7,000, which has led to the purchase of its first puppy.

The variety show aims to raise more money to help towards the final total.

It was the idea of Mosaic’s chief executive Karen Ainley, who organised a similar event five years ago, called Chamberee.

“It was when I was the president of the chamber of commerce,” she adds, “and it was such a success then, I thought why not do it again.

“Obviously, we would love to do something like this every year, but as you can imagine it takes so much time and organisation. Fortunately, I’ve got a great team here who have been instrumental in making this happen.”

It helps to have some interesting acts and in that regard Mosaic really have struck variety gold.

Gemma says: “Just as an example, there’s Steve Sleigh, of Mailboxes, in Colchester, who is doing a bed of nails act because he had it in his garage. He also does a bit of firebreathing.”

Then there’s the Lion Walk Shopping Centre manager Paul Bentham, who will be swapping meetings with some of the biggest retail names in the country to perform with his band.

Not to mention Conservative parliamentary candidate in the general election, Will Quince, who will be singing a song from the hit musical Phantom of the Opera. Karen says: “It’s been an incredible response and a real revelation.

“I expect it will be very light- hearted. Judges will include Anthony Roberts, from the Colchester Arts Centre and town mayor Sonia Lewis. Each will have a cross and a buzzer just in case they want to get rid of anybody.”

Just The Biz is at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, on September 18, at 7pm. Tickets are £10 and can be bought from the Mercury Theatre’s box office on 01206 573948.

The acts include the Rock-weilers – band which includes Stuart Gregory, from Wallis Shipping, Steve Green, from Palladian Press, Ewan Dodds, from Whybrows, Will Morgan, from Morgan Marine, Andy Bell, from Colchester Sixth Form College and Richard Pearce, from Scofields.

Killing Time is a band which includes Paul Bentham, the manager of Lion Walk Shopping Centre.

The Andrew Liver Saltsis an all-girl Forties-inspired singing group with Karen Ainley and Gemma Rawlinson, from Mosaic Publicity, local motivational speaker, Ocean Whitehawk, Lydia Clough, from Essex Chambers, former Gazette editor Irene Kettle and Claire Byrd, from EDF Energy.

Steve Sleigh, of Mailboxes, has a bed of nails act.