Gilbert and Sullivan Society

Chris ended up joining the society as a techie for Princess Ida. The major impression he made in his first year was throwing a rugby ball back on to stage after he was supposed to remove it ^{citation needed}, much to the consternation of some of the cast (it ended up in the orchestra pit). By his second year we'd discovered his talent at painting bricks, a talent utilised in every set since. The Patience set indeed started another tradition which has continued to this day, that of the last coat of paint on the set still drying as the cast go on for the opening night. Not that this has anything to do with Chris's presence, of course (cough).

Chris was technical director for The Pirates of Penzance and Ruddigore. Despite the non-appearance of the long-promised pirate ship, both sets managed to solve the problem of needing two very different sets for acts 1 and 2, as well as specific challenges such as the sarcophagus which the Pirate King and Ruth burst their way through; or the need for the portraits of the Murgatroyd ancestors to come to life. For The Gondoliers, Chris was allowed to run as "Production Designer" and has made no secret of the fact that he just made the role up as an excuse to get back in the driving seat without having to do any real work.

Somewhat to his surprise, Chris was elected as chair for 2008-09. Contrary to urban legend, the acceptance speech was NOT "I was always running for comedy value, people have been wondering if I'll take the job if elected. And the answer is YES, and I'll be doing the best damn job I can!" Some say that this is a bid by the techies to take over the society, but others are doubtful - would techies really be capable of organising anything that complex? After his chairmanship Chris was elected Secretary for the 2009-10 committee. A scientist as society secretary? But that hasn't happened since… Wait, have you ever seen Chris and Alex Gurney in the same room together?