Taking on a part that's been played on screen by both Sir Michael Redgrave and Albert Finney is a challenge few would like to face, but Nick Quartley (pictured) of the Oxford Theatre Guild is undaunted at the prospect. Nick retired last summer after 31 years teaching classics at St Edward's School, Oxford, which makes him the perfect choice for the part of Andrew Crocker-Harris, the public school classics master in Rattigan's masterpiece, The Browning Version.

The play was first performed in 1948 at the Phoenix Theatre, London. Moving and poignant, it highlights the pain of the last few days in the career of a teacher whose academic life is fading. His feeling of becoming obsolete increase as the days pass. It's only with the appearance of Taplow, a boy who needs Crocker-Harris's help, that he begins to show his true feelings. One of the Guild's youngest members, 16-year-old Josh Mullett-Sadones, will play Taplow.

The OTG will be staging this play as part of a double-bill with Rattigan's Harlequinade at the Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday to next Saturday. Harlequinade, a hilarious farce set in the world of post-war theatre, was written as a contrasting companion piece to The Browning Version. The central characters are ageing luvvies Arthur and Edna Gosport who are busy rehearsing their Romeo and Juliet when an unexpected visitor arrives with news which will upset their cosy world.

The first time these plays were staged as amateur productions - one year after their opening in London - was at the Oxford Playhouse. They were directed by Gerard Gould, who has subsequently been a stalwart member of the OTG. Bravely, you might think, Gerard wrote to Rattigan to ask permission to alter the script for this production. The playwright not only agreed to the suggested changes, but said he was making the same changes to the screenplay of The Browning Version which he was writing at the time.

For tickets call the Oxford Playhouse box office on: (01865) 305305.