Theater

Script Reading, Improvisation, Voice Projection, Games, Public Speaking and Audition Techniques will be some of the points covered over the coming terms. Drama is ideal for building confidence, helping with articulation and developing presentation skills. ***It is also a lot of fun!*** The classes have built up over the last five years and are run by Mario Renzullo, who was an original member of the famed Anna Scher theatre and made his professional debut in 1970 and went on to have many lead TV, Film and Theatre roles. Mario founded the theatrical agency Smart Management, which has been running for over twenty years. The classes are open to a wide age range and welcome both newcomers to acting and those with professional acting experience. **Typically, between 12 and 20 people join us each week, creating a lively and engaging group dynamic.** **Venue:** **The Angel Church, Chadwell Street EC1R 1XA** **Five minutes’ walk from the Angel tube station.** **Thursday evenings at 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm.** Fee: £10.00 cash per session. For more information, please email your contact details to: smartmanagement@btconnect.com

Immersive live drawing, dance and music from the flamenco diaspora. Migrants presents: 'Sketches' A journey into the migrant voices of flamenco through the female experience. Women have been using the healing powers of singing and dancing for centuries, so much so that the healing becomes art and these women, artists in their own right. Three female migrant performers based in London explore the flamenco diaspora mixing flamenco, Spanish folk and Latin American rhythms. An immersive performance with live drawing, music, dancing, singing and spoken word that will capture your imagination and soul. In collaboration with The Artists' Pool as part of the 'Lust for Life' exhibition on artworks inspired by Frida Kalho. Tickets available on WeGotTickets: https://wegottickets.com/event/694982

Only a few tickets left! Buy yours ASAP on Eventbrite. Silent early Hitchcock film with introduction and live musical accompaniment. A screening of Hitchcock’s classic The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. Against the backdrop of foggy 1920s London this film tells the story of a hunt for a serial killer. Please book your own £10 ticket (plus £2 attendance fee): https://www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/film-screening-the-lodger Each ticket includes popcorn and a drink (soft drink or wine). The evening features an historical introduction from The London Archives. Silent film pianist Ashley Valentine will bring the film to life by improvising a live score on the night. https://www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/film-screening-the-lodger

*'It was a journey towards conquering our fears and limitations and unlocking our fullest potential.'* \- Sarah Kent\, former visual arts editor of London's Time Out Details and bookings here: https://imprology.com/G201469/we.shtml Please aim to arrive 15 minutes early so we can all start on time. Pay Forward £30 - Regular £25 - Starter £20 **1\. Do I need any experience to join?** No. This weekend is for anyone curious about being more present, playful, and connected. Impro experience or none at all—you’re welcome. Some participants have been doing it for years, and some are just starting. **2\. What if I’m shy\, nervous\, or feel out of place?** That’s completely fine. This retreat is built to include you exactly as you are. Nothing to prove, nothing to perform. Just start where you are and let things unfold. **3\. Will I have to perform?** Not if you don't want to. It's all Open Space: you only do what feels right for you. Sometimes things will be funny, but we’re not aiming for it. **4\. Will I have to be funny?** Sometimes things will be funny, but we’re not aiming for it. **5\. What actually happens during a class?** We breathe, stretch, move, play, speak, and rest. Some games are full-body and wordless. Others are about listening, timing, and presence. If it's a retreat, there’s food, silence, laughter, and space to do nothing at all. **6\. What should I bring?** Clothes that you can move and rest in. If it's a retreat, shoes or boots for walking, swimsuit, mosquito repellent, allergy medication if needed and anything that helps you feel at ease. We’ll take care of the rest. **7\. What do people leave with?** A quieter mind. Looser body. Sharper attention. A sense of having been part of something real. **8\. How many people will be there?** Usually around 6 to 8 people for a class or a retreat. Enough to play, small enough to stay close. It can be much more in a jam, six to 40 in our experience. This is a journey into the heart of improvisation inviting you to rediscover the joy of play, the beauty of improvisation, and the transformative power of connection. Through original exercises and guided explorations, you'll build trust with your partners, engage fully with your intuitions and tap into your audience's "secret wishes" to improvise compelling scenes and stories. This workshop celebrates the courage to leap into the unknown, conjuring an environment where mistakes become gifts and collaboration sparks magic. Whether you're a performer seeking fresh inspiration or simply someone eager to explore the art of being present, "Now or Never" offers a supportive space to practice active listening, fearless vulnerability, and the art of doing rather than trying. Imprology unique approach to improvisation eliminates pre-planning and second-guessing to empower performers with a “now or never” approach to improvisation. Come as you are, and leave with a renewed sense of freedom, connection, and possibility.

So the eighteenth [Musical Comedy Awards](https://www.musicalcomedyawards.com) competition has begun! The top 44 musical comedy acts have been selected from online entries and are battling it out in the heats and semi-finals at The Phoenix through to the Grand Final at The Bloomsbury Theatre on Friday April 10th. Come along for amazing Saturday afternoons of musical comedy entertainment and vote for your favourite acts to progress through to the next round! Semi-final 1 will be headlined by Mitch Benn! Mitch is not only one of the most sought-after acts on the comedy circuit, but is widely acknowledged as one of the best writer/performers of comic songs in the country. On TV, Mitch appeared regularly on BBC1's "The One Show" as the writer and arranger of "The Complaints Choir". Mitch contributed occasional songs to Channel 4's "Bremner Bird And Fortune". He has also appeared on "The Last Word" for More4, "Gas" for Channel 4, "Live at Jongleurs", "The Warehouse" and "Today With Des & Mel" for ITV, "The Comedy Store" for Channel 5, "The World Stands Up" for Paramount and "Raymaan Is Laat" for Dutch TV. * 'Held the audience totally captivated' \*\*\*\*\* (ThreeWeeks). * 'Anyone who likes music, hates Simon Cowell and likes learning new things will love it' \*\*\*\* (Chortle). Join us at this one show for £10/ticket, or at all 6 of them with a massive discount of £37.50 by purchasing a £22.50 Phoenix Pass, at [https://www.wegottickets.com/musicalcomedyawards](https://www.wegottickets.com/musicalcomedyawards)! The 12 acts competing in this first semi-final will be: * Dru Cripps * Danny Garg * Aalex Mandel-Dallal * Tom Veck * Katie Hand * John and Christian * Jonny Bennett * Will and Noah * Abi Sharp * Becky Goodman * Jonathan Rippon * Eoghan Collins Now in its 18th year, the WeGotTickets Musical Comedy Awards is an annual competition to support, promote, expose and celebrate the best emerging musical comedians in the UK. If you are a fan of musical comedy acts such as Tim Minchin, Flight Of The Conchords and Flo & Joan, you'll love this show! Our official patron since 2025 is Bill Bailey MBE. Over the years, the MCAs have provided a launch pad to now established and emerging stars of the genre such as Frisky and Mannish (2009 Finalists), Abandoman (2010 winners), Rachel Parris (Runner Up 2012 and star of The Mash Report), Mae Martin, Jazz Emu, Katie Norris and many more. The MCAs have created a thriving independent platform to celebrate the artform that is musical comedy. Other acts that have featured as headliners in our shows include David O'Doherty, Bo Burnham, Rubberbandits, Mitch Benn, Jay Foreman, Pippa Evans, Tom Basden, Isy Suttie, Ginger & Black, Earl Okin, Flo & Joan, Wilson Dixon, Jo Neary, Mr B. The Gentleman Rhymer, Sarah-Louise Young, Adams & Rae and many more. [RSVP on the Facebook event](https://www.facebook.com/events/889811717072409/)

**SPECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF THIS MEETUP GROUP!** How about coming to hear a pianist who performs across Europe and in the Wigmore Hall at your very own venue, **The Red Hedgehog** \- the charming\, intimate\, bohemian venue in Highgate\, which seats only 60 and where you will be feet away from the pianist\. Get here early to sit in the front row and watch his hands...! JUST CALL THE BOX OFFICE TO SPEAK TO CLARE **0208 348 5050** Hope to see some of you here - especially those of you who have not yet attended a piano playthrough here. Come and meet us!

Join us as we get together for a CMG-favorite event, the OSCAR PARTY AND RED CARPET BASH at the Drexel Theatre! The highlight of the movie year live on the big screen always makes for a fun and memorable evening! Here are details for this event: WHAT TO EXPECT: This year’s ceremony will be hosted once again by Conan O’Brien. In addition to the Oscars on the big screen, your ticket includes a Meal Deal from the Drexel’s new food partner Newfangled Kitchen (I’m checking on vegetarian/vegan options) along with unlimited popcorn and sodas, a free box of candy, and your first beer, wine or specialty drink on the house! Also included: Oscar-themed trivia with prizes from local businesses, on-site paparazzi, and the Drexel's Oscar ballot contest with a chance to win a year of free Drexel movies! Plus, the BEST and most FUN way to watch the Oscars with fellow film fans and your CMG friends! ADVANCE TICKETS: General public tickets are $45 but Movie Group Members and their guests get in for just $35! Here’s how to purchase your tickets: \* Option 1 – In Person: You can purchase at the ticket counter anytime during operating hours. Just mention you are with the Columbus Movie Group for the discounted rate. \* Option 2 – Online: If you prefer to purchase online, you can do so by going to the link below and following these instructions: 1. Click the link below. 2. Click the little TICKETS box then click BUY TICKETS. 3. If you are a Drexel Member, you can log in here to receive the Member/Group rate, which is the same. If you are not a Drexel member, click “No” and the $40 Rate will pop up. But, don’t fret. It’s a little hard to find but there’s a “Promotion Code” section on the screen. Click the “Know a Promotion Code?” box, enter “CMG2026” (case sensitive) and submit. Select the appropriate number of tickets in the Discount Rate section and click “Add.” Next “Proceed to Checkout” then “Checkout” and enter your credit card info. There’s a $1.50 online service fee but it’ll save you a trip to the Drexel. (If you don’t already have one, you will need to sign in or create an account first.) Sellout possible so please purchase yours as soon as possible in advance! LINK FOR TICKETS (See Above Instructions): https://prod1.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=373546\~e2e0a350-c626-4e33-bc63-27e983f4aecf&epguid=ab0b2f82-403c-4972-9998-5475e7dcfa0e&mdy=3/15/2026& DRESS: Dressing up for the occasion art of part of the fun! Dress up as much as you like – there will be everything from casual to formal at the event! Or you can go in character as one of this year’s nominated films! ARRIVAL: Doors open for CMG at 5:30pm so that’s when we’ll plan to meet! That’ll give us plenty of time to fill out our Oscar Ballots, pick up some free popcorn, candy, and something to drink, mix, mingle, take some photos, pick up your Newfangled Kitchen Meal Deal, grab a seat in our CMG Reserved Section, then settle in to enjoy the Academy Awards on the Big Screen! PICTURES: We’ll take pics throughout the evening and the Drexel Paparazzi will be on hand as well. We’ll also take a big group photo around 6:40 near the entrance before the show begins. If you happen to take some good shots yourself, be sure to upload them on the Oscar Party Meetup event! RESERVED SEATING: As you enter the theater, the roped off section to the right marked “Reserved” is reserved for you, your guest(s) and the Columbus Movie Group! VEGAN MEALS: As previously mentioned, the food vendor does NOT have a vegan option at this year’s Oscar Party. However, we DO have a solution! I have reached out to several individuals who are affected. If you are a vegan, plan to attend the Oscar Party and did not receive an e-mail from me, please reach out via private message post a note below. I’ll provide details off-line. And while there won’t be a vegan meal option this year, I think we do have a workable solution. And, all other plans are usiness-as-usual: popcorn, sodas, candy, on-site paparazzi, decorations, bar drinks (including your first drink on the house), the Drexel’s Annual Oscar ballot contest, along with the Big Show on the Big Screen and a fun group of Movie Group friends to watch ‘em with! BONUS LINKS: \* COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES: https://deadline.com/lists/2026-oscar-nominations-list/ \* INTERESTING ARTICLE ON RECORDS BROKEN, SUPRISING FACTS AND OSCAR FIRSTS: https://abc7.com/post/oscar-nominations-2026-surprising-facts-nominees-98th-oscars/18448908/ \* SHORT VIDEO MONTAGE OF THIS YEAR’S BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3abMnrsaUA \* FUN VIDEO OF OSCAR NOMINEES HEARING THEIR NOMINATIONS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6eY1yGQ2aU PARKING: Parking is available along Main Street in front of the theater, on Drexel Avenue, and other nearby side streets. Additional parking is available at the Bexley Municipal Parking Lot (two driveways west of the theatre). LINK: Should be a fun & festive evening and a terrific way to celebrate a great year of movies together! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

A great movie deserves a great dinner! Join us after PROJECT HAIL MARY for another fun and tasty dinner at a CMG-favorite restaurant, FUGU SUSHI! RSVPs are limited for the dinner portion of this event! Here are complete details: FUGU SUSHI: Fugu Sushi offers a truly authentic experience that keeps customers (and the Movie Group) coming back for more. They offer an extensive menu with a delightful array of options and something for everyone! From their top-rated sushi, to tasty appetizers, soups, salads, bento boxes, tempura, delicious teriyaki dishes (including chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, vegetable and more), and vegetarian and vegan options, you’ll be certain to find something you love! MENU: https://www.fugusushicolumbus.com/menus RSVP: An RSVP here means you're signed up for the DINNER portion of this event. Seating is limited. If you also plan to join for the movie, please also RSVP in the separate event listing for the movie portion of this event. For the movie, we'll meet in the theater lobby at 2:10pm for the 2:30pm SuperScreen DLX showing. Advance ticket purchase for the movie is advised. Please RSVP in both events, if you plan to attend the movie and dinner. Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

Join us as we get together for a Discount Tuesday / Choose Your Movie event to see your choice of the top-reviewed indie drama TOW or the action-comedy-horror THEY WILL KILL YOU! A winner either way! Here are details, trailer and plan for this event: TOW: This drama follows a homeless Seattle woman who fights her way out of tow-company hell to reclaim her life and the car that held it all together after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. The film is directed by Stephanie Laing and stars Rose Byrne, Dominic Sessa, Demi Lovato, Ariana DeBose, Octavia Spencer, Simon Rex, Elsie Fisher and Corbin Bernsen. Tow premiered to rave reviews at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival where critics declared, “Tow is a winner” and called the film “a story of perseverance, heart, and real fight, the kind of small human story we see less frequently these days, but need now more than ever!” TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiUtqgeDVI8 THEY WILL KILL YOU: A woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building's history of disappearances. She soon realizes the community is shrouded in mystery. The film is directed by Kirill Sokolov and Zadie Beetz, Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette. The film is being released immediately following its premiere at this year’s SXSW Festival earlier this month. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYqQPiXpi4w PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing of both films and will meet in the upstairs lobby area about 30 minutes before showtime! Once showtimes are announced, advance ticket purchase via the GFC website is advised! Once you have yours, please list your movie of choice and seat number in the Comments section of this event. Complete details will be confirmed/announced as the date gets closer. PARKING: Close, convenient parking is available in the nearby garage (located between 9th and 11th, just off High St). Bring your ticket with you and have it validated at the theater and for $2, you’re covered for the night! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

TBA- We will do lunch before the play too! Tickets are on sale now only $20.

Join us as we get together to see Ryan Gosling and Sandra Huller in the highly anticipated sci-fi adventure, PROJECT HAIL MARY! The film is based on the best-selling novel of The Martian and follows a man who awakens on a spacecraft before realizing his mission to save Earth. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: A science teacher wakes up on a spaceship, light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission to save the Earth. The film is directed by the filmmaking due Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 and 22 Jump Street, Into and Across the Spider-Verse) and is based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir (The Martian). The film stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest), Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYsnngkS_U BUZZ AND REVIEWS: The buzz and reviews for PROJECT HAIL MARY are off-the-charts good! The film is earning a 95% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics call it an “old school blockbuster crowd-pleaser” and “a new sci-fi classic!” It’s “deeply hopeful,” well-acted,” funny,” “dramatic,” and “exceptionally rousing throughout!” Others call it “something truly magical” and one that “we’ll be talking about this one for decades to come!” And I believe Slashfilm says it best: “It will lift up and squeeze your heart, crack you up with laughter, and give you a sense of hope and wonder in a way that few movies have been able to inspire.” MOVIE PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 2:30pm SuperScreen DLX showing and meet in the lobby area between 2:05 and 2:15pm! Tickets already on sale and will likely move fast for this hot ticket / opening weekend showing so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. As a head’s up, this is a longer movie at 2hrs 36mins. DINNER PLAN: Dinner immediately following the movie at 5:30pm at group favorite, FUGU SUSHI, located just next door! Separate RSVP required for the Dinner / Movie portions of this event. An RSVP here means you're signed up for the MOVIE! This portion will be open as long as seats remain. If you also plan to join for dinner, please also RSVP in the separate event listing for the dinner portion of this event. Should be a good one, Dan

The topic for March is "Our Bodies, Ourselves" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!