Swan Lake

In March 1979, eighteen aspirant pilots attested into the Rhodesian Air Force. One of those pilot cadets, Ian du Rand, was an ex-Oriel Boy. For those familiar with the old Rhodesian (now Zimbabwean) school system, it’s not unfair to say that sport often transcended education. As a consequence, lingering interschool jealousies often shaped how we perceived old boys from rival establishments. For every non-Oriel boy in the country, this school deserved our contempt for one simple reason—not only did they excel in most sports, but they also managed to deliver above-average academic results year after year.     

Despite all this, as the eighteen cadets settled into the routine of military life, old rivalries were forgotten, and new friendships were formed.

I remember Ian describing to us one night a show that he and his fellow 1st XV rugby teammates had put on at their school’s annual concert at the end of 1978.     

With the help of Judy Barrett-Hamilton—the troupe’s mastermind—fifteen hairy rugby players donned wigs and tutus and proceeded to parody not only Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, but their own hard-earned reputations as Oriel’s macho sports heroes.

In glorious detail, Ian described this riotous skit, leaving all us cadets in hysterics. Little could I have known that Ian’s description of this uproarious burlesque would leave such a lasting impression.

A few years ago, Judy happened to post a number of photographs from that memorable night. So, in the spirit of transparency, I’ll name some of those hairy-legged, tutu-wearing danseurs: Ian du Rand, Simon H, Steve G, Lloyd F, Roger B, Graham B, Paul H, Mark P and Alan S.

In Simon’s own words, “Judy was a hard task master who insisted we spend as much time perfecting our ‘pas de deux’ as we did our rugby lineout moves.”

Although my second book is a political thriller, there is a scene in ‘A Banner of Knights’ where, you guessed it, a group of 1st XV rugby players put on a ballet spoof for their school’s annual concert.

Thank you Ian, and all your rugby teammates, for the inspiration. (For reasons too complex to divulge here, I had to attribute this scene to Oriel’s fierce rivals, Prince Edward High School. In light of what I wrote earlier about inter-school animosities, please forgive me for stirring the hornets’ nest!)

Quickly moving on, here’s an excerpt from that scene:

The drama teacher at Prince Edward had been a very persuasive young lady: it helped that she was also rather attractive. Every year, in a self-deprecating parody, the 1st team rugby boys agreed to don tights and tutus for her annual school production: their riotous rendition of ‘Swan Lake’ was always a favorite. Unlike the other boys on the team, Claudin was already a fixture in her drama class. Apart from his infatuation, he genuinely enjoyed acting.