Rhubarb December 2025

THEATRE – A LIFE LONG PASSION

O xley was to become the School’s most prolific producer and director of School drama, in many different forms, second only to Wilfrid Cowell, but with a much wider palette. No challenge seemed beyond him and every kind of entertainment from Grand Opera to Gilbert & Sullivan, the biggest West Show Musicals; Shakespeare, Gogol, Brecht,Aristophanes to Stoppard, Pinter and Wilde not to mention medleys and evenings of nostalgic musical classics and readings appeared before enthusiastic, sell out audiences in Big School and the New Hall (from 1975) in the main.

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‘The Oxley Era’ was considerably boosted by a cadre of fellow like-minded teachers who between them were responsible for many outstanding and challenging productions. These included Nick Quartley, Simon Taylor, Fred Pargeter, David Howorth, Malcolm Watson, John Trotman, David Tawney, Colin Pedley, Robin Alden amongst others.Also, at long last, with the advent of co-education (and even before) the opposite sex was permitted to tread the Teddies boards!

H e instilled in me a lifelong love of history, for which I shall always remember him and be grateful. However, my abiding memory of him was in a staff production of Oklahoma in drag as Ado Annie singing ‘I'm just a girl who can't say no’, bringing the house down. I knew Malcolm through my involvement in drama at the School.The high point of this was being directed by Malcolm as the headmaster in Alan Bennett's 40 Years On , which was the school play in 1991. He was a profoundly erudite man, though he wore it lightly, with a wonderful gift for engaging pupils in the worlds of drama and literature. I can say with certainty that I can say with certainty that together with John Trotman who taught me English at A Level, Malcolm has had a profound impact on my life by introducing and encouraging an interest in reading and ideas. He has obviously had a similar impact on dozens if not hundreds of others, which is a remarkable and wonderful legacy both for Malcolm personally and for Teddies of which he was such a big part.

(Chris Nathan, School Archivist and OSE, Segar’s 1954-1957) .

‘Nabucco’ finale, 1984.

M alcolm was an inspirational teacher and not only in the classroom were his talents on show. Either on stage, duetting with Mo Whitehouse on piano, or, behind the scenes, directing, producing (and sometimes writing) memorable school productions. Once compulsory corps duty had dropped away for me, I joined a handpicked troop of Ruscombe-King and accompanied by Pete

Mo Ruscombe-King.

singers led by Malcolm to "entertain" the captive audiences at local old people’s homes with songs from the First World War and Edwardian music hall. Sometimes, we weren't sure if some of the residents had fallen asleep or simply passed away from the joy of it all, as we went through our repertoire.

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