Oh! What a Lovely War

Synopsis

Comic expose of the savage futility of war in general and the First World War in particular.' Your Country Needs You' - The rallying call for a generation to do their patriotic duty and fight for king and country. A slogan which resonates with bitter futility for doomed youth who fought and died in the Great War, which claimed 10 million lives and left twice that number wounded and maimed. Oh! What a Lovely War tells the story of this defining event of the 20th century through songs, sketches and period newsreel. A rousing musical, presented as a music hall revue, this highly charged satire on war and its horror is, in turns, brilliantly comic and deeply moving.

Our Review:

John Dixon - 10 March 2010

Literarily telling the story of World War 1 through song and dance, Oh What A Lovely War packs a powerful punch and is a brilliant example of an ensemble piece of theatre.

Directed by Erica Whyman and Sam Kenyon, the show will always be associated with Joan Littlewood but there direction makes the show look fresh and sadly is still all too relevant today. While the timescale in the musical is the 1914-18 Great War, with British Soldiers still being killed almost daily in Afghanistan and the town of Wootton Bassett all to regularly coming to a standstill as a mark of respect to the fallen, it is still chillingly relevant today.

The show starts with a bunch of music hall performers literally ambling on stage encouraging the audience to ignore them and keep chatting until they are ready. Then we are transported by comedy and song back to 1914 . Across the back wall of the set a red line appears similar to the BBC news, which keeps us updated of events and the mounti...

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