Once more unto the drink, dear friends

In keeping with its prestigious reputation, the University of Oxford commonly attracts students of a wealthy, prosperous sort, with many of them hailing from old English families with significant footholds in history. Socially and financially exclusive, the Bullingdon Club is a private dining club formed over 200 years ago and can only be joined by invitation. The Club has no permanent rooms; instead, its members are historically notorious for drunkenly destroying the premises and property of others and paying for the damage afterwards. Both current Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson were members of the Bullingdon during their time at Oxford, leading to much doubt as to their ability to represent the British people as a whole and not just the wealthy elite.

The cast of the University of Manchester Drama Society's
production of Posh in February 2011 - I'm on the
far left!

First performed in London's Royal Court Theatre in 2010, Posh by Laura Wade is a play that satirises the Bullingdon and its members, taking place during a dinner meeting of the fictional Riot Club. What ensues is an evening of drunken debauchery and violence, ending in a very serious injury being inflicted upon an innocent bystander. Performing in the role of Guy Bellingfield in February 2011, I participated in one of the first amateur productions of the play in the country. I had a great time acting in the play, and I forged many of my best friendships during rehearsals.

At one point in the proceedings, the flamboyant Hugo Fraser-Tyrwhitt insists upon reviving a forgotten club tradition of members performing entertainments during dinner. Having received permission to perform a poem of his own creation, Hugo stands upon his chair and delivers the following verse:

Once more unto the drink, dear friends, once more,

And give a roar for all our English drunk.

In peace there's nothing so becomes a man

As Milo's sweetness and sobriety;

But when the call to drink rings in his ears,

He'll imitate the action of the Tubester;

Stiffen the member, summon up the sword,

Disguise understanding with hard-drinking rage;

Then look like Guy with terrible aspect;

Burning eyes 'neath the wiggage of the head

Like the George Balfour; let the brow o'erwhelm it

As fearfully as does a Grecian frown

O'erhang and jutty poor Dimitri's face,

Steeped in the wild and wanton Ouzo.

Now be like Ryle and stretch the gullet wide,

Be Harry the brave, and hold up every sabre

To its full height. On, you noblest Riot,

Whose blood is fet from vodka 80 proof!

Drinkers that, like so many Old Etonians

Have in these parts from morn till even drank,

Then drank some more for love of Leighton.

Dishonour not dead members; now attest

That Knights like our Lord Riot did beget you.

Be envy now to clubs of weaker blood,

And teach them how to drink. The game's afoot!

Pour out the spirits, and with glasses charged

Cry, "God for Harry, Dimitri and Alistair, James, Toby, Edward, Milo,

Hugo, Guy and George!"

As is pointed out by other club members, this is merely "a bit of Shakespeare with our names in it", but Hugo is successful in entertaining his fellow Rioters.  This is an interesting perversion of King Henry's iconic monologue from Henry V; not only does Hugo replace the patriotic and jingoistic enthusiasm of the original monologue with crude references to binge drinking, he also replaces this sense of national pride with far more elitist overtones. In particular, the reference to Old Etonians is indicative of the monied white boys club that the government has become in the last couple of years. That Hugo not only reuses but alters the words of an inherently English figure such as Shakespeare perfectly epitomises the mindset of the Riot Club: England will be theres, and they will do whatever they want with it.