Literature, Theatre & Film

What do we do?

Our aim is to promote friendship through reading. Our book choices are suggested by members for an annual reading list. We try to cover a wide range from the classics, thrillers, historical novels, biographies, detective fiction, as well as current best sellers. Members volunteer to lead the monthly review. We also recommend and chat about other books we’ve been reading.

What do we do?

Our Group members decide on a range of books that they would like to read and discuss over the coming months. This results in a wide and enjoyable selection.

What do we do?

We meet at the leaders house to discuss the previous month’s choice. Each member takes a turn in choosing so we have a wide range of authors and subjects to talk about while we enjoy coffee and biscuits.

What do we do?

Members all help to decide which books we will read with the selection ranging from classical to contemporary authors

What do we do?

Members take it in turns to choose a book and introduce it and we then have a wide-ranging discussion about the book and issues arising. In the last year we have read an eclectic range of books.

What do we do?

 The members view films independently and then meet once a month in the restaurant at Abbeygate cinema to discuss the films and agree what we will view next.

New members welcome. Please phone or email first

What do we do?

We start with coffee and ‘catch-up’ time and a thought for the day!!!
We then begin our meetings with:
a) We discuss films we have seen during the past month; we also include streaming services such as Netflix and other platforms, not only cinema releases
b) We also spend time by taking in broader cultural opportunities such as offerings from the Apex, Theatre Royal and the free lectures offered by West Suffolk College.
c) We find time for members of the group who have offered to lead a presentation to the group on a particular topic related to film and the arts that is of interest to them e.g. directors, actors, music scores, film noirs .
3) We end our meeting (2hours) by offering suggestions of what might be worth watching/listening to over the coming month.

What do we do?

Writing and story-telling have played different roles in our lives, but we share a common love of words and stories, and a wish to improve our writing abilities. Each month, we write approximately 1500 words on an agreed topic, which we then read out at our monthly meeting. We are starting to feel comfortable enough to ask for and give feedback on the work. We don’t feel able to take in new members at the moment, but we would be very happy to support any new groups that form by sharing our experiences.

What do we do?

We are a lively, informal group who meet fortnightly to read poems aloud over a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Each person chooses a few poems on a pre-agreed topic and brief discussion follows a reading.
Topics include individual poets (Jackie Kay for example) or particular themes (Sun, Moon and Stars for example).
And sometimes we try to read a longer poem ‘in the round’ (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner for example.)

New members welcome.

What do we do?

We read and study selected works of Shakespeare.

All members are encouraged to contribute in any way they wish

Also see Shakespeare II

What do we do?

We read, study and discuss a selection of Shakespeare’s plays. The idea is to have some intellectual stimulation and plenty of fun.

What do we do?

We visit Theatres for Plays, Comedies, and Musicals and, also, the local Cinema for live transmissions of plays from The London Theatres and Stratford.
 Over the last 12 months, our venues have included The Globe and The Menier Chocolate Factory both in Southwark;The Stamford and Regents Park open-air theatres; The Mercury, Colchester; Wolsey, Ipswich and 2 Norwich Theatres.

Anyone wishing to join should contact the Group Leader

What do we do?

This group will read through and study (in translation) Aeschylus’s trilogy The Oresteia, and Sophocles’ and Euripides’ handling of some of the same material (they both have a play called Electra), with some attempt to place the plays in context. We will move on to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, as another, contrasting, treatment of the revenge theme from another tradition, and then to George Eliot’s novel, Daniel Deronda (which can be seen as partly an attempt to remake the genre of the tragic in a novel), and possibly D H Lawrence’s novel Women in Love. No prior knowledge necessary, which is not to say that anyone who knows ancient Greek will not be particularly welcome!
New members welcome.

What do we do?

This is a taught course which will cover the context of Chaucer’s life and times, with a different topic each session, followed by the reading and translation of The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales We recommend the text book of the same name published by Cambridge University Press. You might be familiar with Chaucer or have no prior knowledge of him at all – we are simply Chaucer enthusiasts who will enjoy sharing him with you.