From Thursday 3rd February to Saturday 5th February, Newick House and Ashmead teamed up to present their House Play, Mixed Doubles. The evening featured a collection of short comic plays based on the theme of marriage, and involved over 40 pupils, either acting, backstage or helping with Front of House.

The show began with a rousing speech from rugby-mad Headmaster, George Macduff, before Charlie Turrell and Amber Alhuwalia showed us exactly why married couples should not play tennis together. Three 3rd form students, Theo Sacks, Caitlin Christopher and MacDuff again then performed a hilarious piece of physical speech to the familiar sound of their Housemaser droning on. James Strutt and Nick Kundsen, with their wives Laura Bevan and Claudia Holt, saw their pleasant dinner party descend into electronic farce in the quick and slick play, 'Alarms'. The first Act concluded with scoundrel husband Christian Humphreys being outwitted by his beguilingly sharp wife Polly North.

Act Two began with 'Magic', a hilarious snapshot of married couples visiting on a hospital ward, featured Ollie Thornley, Fred Nesbitt, Serena North, Harriet Slator, Beth Oyston and Poppy Stirland, followed by Strutt again, this time as the nervous young vicar giving a young couple marital advice on their wedding day. Next came Manfredi de Filippo and Philippa Evans as that young couple, nervously making small talk before their first night. One more piece of hilarious physical comedy from Turrell, Martia Briman and Issy Tomkinson showing exactly the type of people you don't want to catch a plane with, before Guy Mitchell, harry Hitchins and Claudia Holt played out a hysterical scene of miscommunication in a night club, ending with a 'dance-off' that will go down in House history.

The final night, the House night, saw Big Classical packed and reduced to standing room only, followed by a party in Sixth Form Social afterwards for the cast and all our guests. it was a great night, not least because we raised a great deal of money for Claire Peterken's chosen cancer charity.

Our thanks go to Mrs Taylor, Mrs Cutts, Mrs McBride and Mr Spry for all their help and expertise, and for giving all involved such a wonderful experience.