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2 Members Win Awards

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TWO CAA MEMBERS WIN PANTO AWARDS

Two club members received well deserved recognition at the 2026 Pantomime Awards held on Sunday 19th April.

BEST SUPPORTING ARTISTE

ADA CAMPE

Ada Campe CAA Member

For Growled in ‘Beauty and the Beast continues’ at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London.

NIGEL ELLACOTT SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD For Pantomime History, Tradition and Heritage.

KEITH SIMMONS

Keith Simmons CAA Member

A leading performer, writer and director in his own right, Keith has spent more than fifty years helping to shape, preserve and pass on the rich traditions of British pantomime to new generations of practitioners and audiences alike.

CAA Rehearsal Studio

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Let’s get creative!

Looking for the perfect rehearsal space? Our bright and spacious first-floor studio offers a welcoming, versatile environment ideal for rehearsals, readings, auditions, and video self-tapes. Measuring 20ft by 30ft, the room provides ample space for movement, staging, and creative collaboration, while its natural light makes it especially well-suited for filming high-quality self-tape auditions.

CAA rehearsal studio image #1

Equipped with an electric piano and a high-quality amplified speaker, the space is ready for all your musical needs. With Bluetooth connectivity and multiple input options, it’s easy to play music directly from your device, making setup simple and stress-free.

CAA rehearsal studio image #2

Whether you’re preparing a performance, filming a self-tape, hosting auditions, or running a workshop, this well-lit and fully equipped studio is designed to support your work at every stage.

CAA rehearsal studio image #3

The studio also includes it’s own kitchen and bathroom facilities. Please note, it is on the first-floor and only accessible by stairs.

Members can hire the space on an hourly or daily basis by contacting the office within two weeks of their required date. The rate is £25 per hour + VAT.

For weekly hires or longer-term bookings, please contact the Mercury Theatre, Colchester or visit: https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/hire-us/caa/ 020 7836 3172 (CAA Office.)

A Debut Novel

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Bren Gosling’s debut novel STREET SWEEPER is published on 28th March by Troubador and is available from Waterstones, Hatchards, T G Jones, Blackwells, Amazon and independent retailers. Info www.brengosling.com.

Bren Gosling's Street Sweeper

“Really beautiful and vivid detailing in the storytelling.” – Chris Gribble, Former Head of The National Centre for Writing

London, 2002. When Almir, a twenty-one-year-old Kosovan ex-boy soldier, is relocated to London with a new identity, flashbacks undermine his ability to keep his job as a street sweeper. Then he meets Roland, a forty-year-old British Jamaican, a Council surveyor trying to escape his Pentecostal upbringing, and failed relationship with Shirl with whom he has a fifteen-year-old son.

Roland and Almir become closer as Roland offers first friendship, then sex, yet Almir remains secretive about his past, and struggles to identify as gay, forcing Roland to question their relationship. And who is Muzzafer, the name Almir repeatedly shouts out during frequent nightmares? As tension builds, Almir confronts his involvement in a war atrocity, which threatens to destabilise his sanity and his new UK life.

But, against all these powerful obstacles, Almir and Roland’s love for each other continues to grow. Is it strong enough to last?

 

Club AGM 2026

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SUNDAY 29th MARCH 2026

Timetable of events

3.30pm CLUB OPENS
(Bar not open until 5.30pm)

4pm ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

5.30pm (approx) BAR OPENS
(Food available 5.30pm to 7pm)

7.30pm CABARET
Followed by election results.

10.15pm BAR CLOSES

10.30pm CLUB CLOSES

ELECTION OF CLUB COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2026/27

We have 12 candidates for the ten places on the committee..

Election papers are being sent out to A, B and C members
and must be returned to the club office by 4pm on
Sunday 29th March 2026

(Update) ELECTION RESULTS AS BELOW…

Elected committee for 2026/2027

NICHOLAS ROBINSON, SIMON BASHFORD, CHRISTOPHER HARE, MICHAEL MCMANUS,
PAUL BOYD, PETER BULL, MICHAEL KENNARD, ADRIAN GUMMER, TIM MCARTHUR, LUCY PICKFORD.

Judi, Gyles and our Roy!

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Following the wonderful evening at the club with Dame Judi Dench and Giles Brandreth, we have this charming clip of them chatting to long standing club member Roy Pyke. 

An upcoming “Rosebud Podcast” is being recorded live at the CAA, see below. To visit the “Rosebud Podcast” page on Instagram please click/tap here.