MASTER of ceremonies Richard Mulligan must have thought it was his lucky day. The 15-year-old schoolboy found himself being mobbed by not one, but five scantily-dressed young ladies.

It was, however, all in the line of duty – and showbusiness.

Pupils at Cheney School in Headington, were staging a musical about a sleazy nightclub.

They were tackling Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin, which was turned into the smash-hit musical film Cabaret starring Liza Minnelli.

The action takes place in the Berlin Kit Kat Club, where hostess Sally Bowles makes a dubious living. American writer Cliff Bradshaw then appears on the scene and the couple get dragged into smuggling and political double deals before a final tragic parting.

Set in the 1930s against the threat of Nazism, the musical provides a wry commentary on the events that were about to unfold across Europe.

The production at Cheney was directed by Graham Russell with music arranged by Tony Dwyer. Four performances were given at the school in 1985. The school, which opened in 1954, had a long tradition of tackling ambitious stage shows.

In 1959, an unnamed critic from our sister paper, The Oxford Times, heaped praise on a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore.

He or she wrote: “One has come to expect excellent settings in Cheney School presentation, but in its present production, the school has surpassed even its own previous achievements in the matter of decor.

“The designs for the Cornish fishing village and the picture gallery at Ruddigore Castle put to shame those of adult amateur societies which persist in hiring garish ready-made scenery.

“Allowing for the fact that several of the young voices have not the range for the music they have to sing, the general standard of achievement is commendably high.”

An Oxford Mail critic in 1964 spoke of the “high standard of acting” in George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the Lion.

“The centurion, cleverly portrayed by Robert Ford, deserved a few extra bouquets. Ford, obviously enjoying himself, stood up to the Christians, spoke sharply to the dashing captain (Robert Buswell) and defied Caesar’s functionaries. One was amused by his guttural commands: ‘Stand up, salute, you miserable lot...”

Other productions staged at the school over the years have included Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night as well as many choral concerts.