Nigel’s thing is Unlikely Combinations  

And the students think it’s his, the idea,  

Because they’ve not heard of Proops or Mochrie or Stiles.  

And he has them improvising going to shops  

As Superman, in need of tights,  

Or the Incredible Hulk, with a migraine.  

Or the cast of Avengers Assemble  

Planning a birthday party for Mighty Mouse.  

And they love it, don’t question what they’re learning,  

Which is great,  

Because Nigel doesn’t, either.  

He’s sure it does them good,  

Making up these scenes  

Of Queen Elizabeth bungee jumping  

Or Beyoncé making a soufflé in a doorway in Zimbabwe  

And he sets them up and they go for it  

And there’s laughter   

And they Like Him  

And that’s good  

Because he needs them to  

Because, for Nigel, the Unlikeliest Combination of all  

Is him, standing there, telling them anything  

As their teacher.  



Mike Hickman (@MikeHicWriter) is a writer from York, England. He has written for Off the Rock Productions (stage and audio), including 2018’s “Not So Funny Now” about Groucho Marx and Erin Fleming. He has recently been published in EllipsisZine, Dwelling Literary, Bandit Fiction, Nymphs, Flash Fiction Magazine, Brown Bag, and Red Fez. His co-written, completed six-part BBC radio sit com remains frustratingly as unproduced as it was the last time he updated this biography. So here it is, line by line (Part Three): “How long before you were face first in the carpet this time?” “There was a bit of an altercation. No worse than when you went to the Queen’s garden party.” “We said we’d never talk about that again.” “I didn’t know you could humanly do that with a cucumber sandwich.”