LEADER: ANNE MARIE GLEESON DEPUTY: MAUREEN McCOY

PREVIOUS SEASON : 2025~26

We are growing steadily and now have about 44 members in our group, who have enjoyed a very active season with lots of different topics and 2 speakers as well as our special guest speaker Jackie on Shakespeare; plus of course our annual Christmas Lunch at the White Hart and our usual look at the careers of those actors who passed away the year before. We have great lively discussions on several topics and this year everyone had an opinion on AI and how it affects theatre, as well as a debate; this year we decided who was the most popular TV Actress between Phyllis Logan and Ceilia Imrie and Celia Imrie came out top and voted a ‘National Treasure’, especially as she had just been on ‘Celebrity Traitors’. Play readings this year ‘Pride & Prejudice’ and ‘The Ballad of Maria Marten’ which was a play based on a real-life murder of 1827 and we had a presentation on the real events compared to the script of the play.

FORTHCOMING SEASON : 2026~27

Our first meeting is on Wednesday 2nd September 2026 which is before the first General Meeting of the season. We will be discussing what theatre we have seen over the summer as well as sorting out theatre visits and the programme we have lined up - full details of the other topics are shown below in the table Programme of Meetings 2026-27, click on forward arrow to view.

THEATRE VISITS: These are arranged in addition to the fortnightly meetings. We have to book weeks in advance and the September to December 2026 were arranged May/June time and so in December we will be arranging visits to theatres for January 2027 onwards. Theatres visited are::

• Octagon, Bolton
• Everyman/Playhouse, Liverpool
• Liverpool Empire
• Royal Exchange, Manchester
• Lowry, Salford
• Home, Manchester
• Storyhouse, Chester
• Theatr Clwyd

MEETINGS ~ VENUE: SALVATION ARMY CENTRE, ACADEMY STREET, WA1 2BR

We meet every fortnight on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 10am til 12am (we don't do any extra meetings on the 5-week month). Our venue is ideal with comfy seating and a friendly warm atmosphere with a Cafe for refreshments before we start our meeting at 10am and a car park at the back for those driving. There is a large TV where we can link a laptop for presentations, looking up the internet during discussions and general information. Please see photos below or our happy bunch at the venue.

PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS 2026/27