The Michaelmas Term is always a busy one, not only regarding the academic work, but also the variety of extracurricular events taking place throughout.
Recent Theatrical events include ‘House of Desires’ performed in the Drama Studio by members of the Sixth Form including our very own Alistair Kung. This was an entertaining romp with a good deal of comedy and Alistair was surprisingly convincing in his role as an elderly, grey-haired gentleman! More recently, he directed the IC’s scenes in the Boarders’ Play ‘Two’ which consisted of a variety of scenes each taking place in a bar. This was a real roller-coaster of emotions, heavy tragedy combined with some very funny material. Dan Finley as another elderly gentleman (is the IC being type-cast?) was a compellingly endearing character, Ilya Mouzykantskii demonstrated great stage presence while the pairing of Jonathan Swee as wife of Gualtiero Uzlenghi’s character drew the biggest laughs of the night - all in all, a very successful and entertaining venture.

Our Musical Evening followed the Round Table Firework display on Duke’s Meadow last Saturday and showcased the considerable talent we have in the House. Ably organised by Jeremy Achkar and his team, with Laurence Cardwell introducing the acts, we welcomed an audience of about 100 people including friends from other Boarding Houses, presenting a range of styles and material and providing snacks and drinks. The evening got off to a great start with Kevin Leung on piano, Tom Graber on guitar and vocals by Harry Secrett in renditions of the ‘Four Chord Song’ and ‘No Handlebars’. This was followed by a change of mood as Johannes Osterrieth played the Prelude to Bach’s Suite No. 1 very beautifully on the ‘cello and then we were once more transported back into contemporary style with Dan Finley singing and Owen Turner-Major playing guitar with usual impressive flair. Aditya Ranjan then took to the stage to play and sing ‘Apologise’, a well-known song that the audience could gently sing along to in the chorus, then Sharath Pillai wowed us on the classical guitar. It was a real treat to see some of our students who do not always advertise their talents feeling confident enough to perform – the relaxed nature of the evening helps here and provides an environment with less pressure than the more conventional concert situation. The first half of the evening was rounded off by Mr. C with his guitar and harmonica singing ‘Blowing in the Wind’ by his beloved Dylan, again with some audience participation.
What a privilege, then, to be entertained by Jeremy Achkar at the piano at the beginning of the second half – his natural talent clearly shone through as he played a Jack Johnson number followed by a song by Ray Charles and then another by Kan Ye West – that young man will go far…… The next act produced an inventive and rather soulful arrangement of Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’, with Alistair Kung’s vocals against Yi Jun Loh on violin and Jonathan Swee on guitar. Okigbo Aghaji and Eyisan Boyo drew great merriment from the crowd with their rapping and then Mr. C once more entertained us with ‘Sunny Afternoon’ by the Kinks, dedicated to the House’s ‘60s throwback, Vini! Rounding off what was a highly successful night, the L6 gathered around the piano to sing us out in unison and the crowd went wild! We feel lucky to be living with such talented youngsters and look forward to our next Musical Evening.