The Haileybury Society was delighted to be invited to a special reunion of the cast of a 1964 school production and tour of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado hosted by Richard Lawrence (L 60) in Covent Garden. As Richard writes,

‘In April 1964, a large party of Haileyburians and others embarked on a tour of Sweden with a production of The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. We started in Gothenburg, visited Lundsberg School and Uppsala, and finished with two performances in Stockholm.

In April 2024, 17 survivors gathered at a wine bar in Covent Garden to mark the 60th anniversary. We paid tribute to Hugh Sawbridge, who directed the production, played double bass in the orchestra and, not least, organised the tour; and also to Bill Snowdon, Haileybury’s Director of Music, who was the conductor.

Two soloists were present: Harold Chaplin, who played Pooh-Bah, and John Slater, the Mikado himself. And it was a particular pleasure to see David Hunt and Susie Hunt (formerly Casimir), as well as Jane Everard and Ashley Locke from the Haileybury Society.

We met at noon, and some party animals were still there at 4pm, no doubt exchanging anecdotes and other memories.’

Richard Lawrence (L.60)