Limited space is available for the public to attend The Hugh Oldham Lecture.  Please contact Sally-Anne Rogers at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

All speakers have now been confirmed for the afternoon seminar programme. These are attended by our Year 10 for boys along with students invited from schools in and around the Greater Manchester area.

 THE HUGH OLDHAM SEMINAR PROGRAMME 2012

The 2012 Hugh Oldham Lecture
Monday 2 July 2012 - 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Sir Nicholas Hytner
Director of The Royal National Theatre
MGS 1967-1974

Knock Knock, Who’s There?  Even Shakespeare wrote terrible jokes

Nicholas Hytner left MGS to read English at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and  his career …when became an Associate Director at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. He worked regularly at the National Theatre in London between 1989 and 1997and became its Director in April 2003.  Directorial work for theatre  - Warhorse 2011

Hytner's film version of the play The History Boys was released in 2006.

He was knighted in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List for services to drama.

His latest venture, popular West End comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, opened on 18 April on Broadway.

Hytner has also directed films, such as The Crucible, The Madness of King George, The Object of My Affection and Center Stage.

Hytner is also a successful opera director with his production of Xerxes winning the Laurence Olivier Opera Award in 1985. Xerxes and his production of The Magic Flute are both still in the English National Opera repertory.

THE AFTERNOON SEMINARS

This year the theme is English, Drama and Modern Foreign Languages  We are delighted to present an impressive array of MGS associated speakers hosting our seminars; below is the final programme.

The Afternoon Seminars begin at 2:45 pm, and are repeated at 3:45 pm.

If you have any questions regarding the afternoon seminars or The Hugh Oldham Lecture, please contact Sally-Anne Rogers at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

SEMINAR ONE - Mark Chapman

MGS 1984-91
Radio Journalism

Mark is the main sports presenter on Radio 5 Live as well as presenting for BBC Sport on television.

During his time at MGS he developed an interest in radio broadcasting, wanting to work for Radio 1 from the age of 13. He went on to achieve a degree in French and Business Studies from the University of Hull.

Mark wrote a monthly column for Shoot Monthly magazine.  In 2010, he released his first book, entitled Heroes, Hairbands and Hissy Fits: Chappers' History of Modern Football, in which he gives a harsh critique of modern football and players both professional and part-time.

In 2008, Mark appeared on Celebrity Mastermind.  His specialist subject was Premier League Football and came second with 25 points.

SEMINAR TWO - Jim Poyser

MGS 1978-1984
Writing and producing for Radio and Television

Jim is a freelance TV and radio producer and writer.  He left MGS to read Modern Languages at Oxford going on to work as both a journalist and a teacher, before starting to write full time in 1996.

Jim wrote a novel, two plays, and then started to write comedy scripts for Radio 4. He has written ten comedy series for radio, and many plays.

In 2000 he was asked to produce for Radio 4 as well, a job he did for four years, covering both drama and comedy.  He then moved into TV - working as the script editor on Channel 4's Shameless, then as a producer for BBC comedy where he made several shows out of Oxford Road.

He is currently producing BBC1 sitcom In With The Flynns, which is the first sitcom to be made at Media City in Salford.

SEMINAR THREE - Geoff Gamlen

MGS 1977-1984
From Safety to Where?

Geoff left MGS to read English Literature at Cambridge, but changed degree course to Arabic and Islamic Studies after the first year.

On graduation he joined the Civil Service working first in the Home Office and later transferring to the Diplomatic Service.  After a three-year posting as a political officer to the British Embassy in Moscow he resigned his commission to pursue a career in the music industry.

After a few false starts success came with the formation in 2001 of Eclectic Method – an audiovisual DJ collective which pioneered the music video mashup as an improvised live performance.  Several years of international touring followed, and Eclectic Method found management support and a new home base in New York.

Eclectic Method continue to perform live in the US and Europe, and are also active in the creative marketing industry.

SEMINAR FOUR - Nigel Stephenson

MGS 1969-1976
Twitter and the News Revolution

Nigel left MGS to study Modern Foreign Languages at Hertford College, Oxford.

He joined Reuters from UK regional newspapers in 1986 and was a correspondent in Helsinki, Moscow and Prague before returning to London in 1999 to join the Government bonds desk

Nigel has been a specialist editor on the financial markets team in London since October 2009, after four years running editorial training.

His seminar will explain how social media has changed both news gathering and news distribution, along with why he believes it’s still one of the most exciting jobs in the world.

SEMINAR FIVE - Chris Ward

MGS 1993-2000
How to impress in the current recruitment market

After leaving MGS Chris completed his studies at the University of Warwick and embarked on a career in recruitment.

Like many who find themselves in his profession, Chris ‘fell’ into his role after University and now works as a Managing Director for Edustaff, a business specialising in education recruitment.  He has interviewed over 2500 candidates during his career and sees over 250 CVs every week.

The importance of English and its correct usage and annunciation has been highlighted again and again, both in securing interviews through CVs, covering letters and profiles and also in interviews themselves.

Chris will talk about the current job market for graduates, how to ensure you make the best of your CV, how to impress in interviews and what positions are available to English graduates and graduates in general on leaving University.

SEMINAR SIX - Luke Gilfedder

Luke is returning to MGS, having only left last year, to tell the story of how he launched his successful theatre group, Finn Youth Productions; this was after he turned down a sought after place to read English at University College London - at the time the top university for this course in the country.

Within the first two months of operation, his group acquired a theatre for their personal use in Pownall Hall, Wilmslow, and where they have performed numerous shows including Graham Greene’s The Living Room, Norman Mailer’s Buddies and August Strindberg’s The Pariah.

Press interest regarding the fact that Luke had run the risk of turning down University College, along with the group's subsequent successes - the most recent of which was the sell out show at Stockport Garrick in April - certainly helped with his PR and put Finn Youth Productions, quite literally, in the spotlight.

Luke has just finished writing a play called That’s Jam, which he will direct and produce to appear at the Royal Exchange in July.

You can read more about Luke's success story along with friend and former MGS student, Angus Macalister, here.