We always love hearing about the unexpected connections made within the Canford community, and OC Ore Oduba L04 recently shared a wonderful example of this in action.

Ore wrote in to tell us about working alongside fellow Old Canfordian, Callum Bruce S20, during the UK theatre tour of Picture You Dead, which ran from January to July this year. Ore took on the role of the villainous Stuart Piper, “art dealer extraordinaire and all-round spoilt brat”, while Callum was part of the backstage crew, described by Ore as “an invaluable member of the crew, very much the backbone of the operation.”

Callum himself has been busy since, opening tours of The Shawshank Redemption and Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts. Reflecting on Picture You Dead, he shared how much he loved being part of the production, working as Re-Lighter/Technical Assistant Stage Manager. His role covered everything from setting up and adjusting the lighting in each new theatre, to running props and scenery backstage, and even calling the show cues. With early morning get-ins, late-night pack-downs, and up to eight shows a week, Callum’s contribution ensured everything ran smoothly behind the curtain.

Beyond the theatre, Ore and Callum even discovered a shared enjoyment of Parkruns, further proof that OC connections can flourish in all sorts of places.

Reflecting on their time together, Ore shared a photo of the pair taken on stage at the Palace Theatre, Southend, the final stop of the tour.

As we say to all our leavers, you never know when an OC will just pop-up in your life!