Oh What a Lovely Show!
Oh What A Lovely War is a musical developed by Joan Littlewood and originally performed in 1963 before being turned into a successful film released in 1969. It is now back celebrating its 60th Anniversary with a number of shows at the Southwark Playhouse Borough. I had heard nothing about this show before I went to go see it and was not at all familiar with the earlier productions nor the film, so this review is entirely based just on the performance I saw. Spoiler alert, it’s brilliant and you should absolutely go and see it.
This production features a cast of 6 actor musicians all of whom are on top form. They worked fantastically well together as a company and they each had their own moments to shine. As a whole the cast had brilliant chemistry with each other and were a joy to watch throughout. Before the show even starts the performers are wandering around on stage, in the audience, interacting with the audience and each other. I normally hate this, but it was done very well and helped to set the scene. This production is loosely set up as being a circus troupe putting on a wargames show. It includes songs, mime, acting, dancing, and a small amount of circus tricks (namely one character juggles for a little bit). It can seem like it is a bit hectic, but everything is meticulously choreographed and seamlessly done.
The plot is the story of World War One. The build up to the war, and the horrors of trench warfare. Sounds like it should be quite bleak but this is a very funny show with audience participation, dodgy accents, and a smattering of awful jokes. The first act is definitely more fun than the second, as the second act does take a much more sombre note and focuses more on the tragic loss of life from war, but it remains a captivating piece of theatre. A particularly poignant moment in the show is when the contrast between the war propaganda at home and the realities of life on the front line were brought into sharp realisation, moving between a fun audience sing-along to the trenches, and then back to the sing-along. This was really effective and done in such a way that the tonal shift was impactful rather than simply jarring.
This show is 60-years old, but if you told me that it had been written 60 days ago, I would have believed you. This production keeps the old timey and vintage aesthetic and plays up to the camp vaudeville style which helps give this show a unique timeless quality. The story and messaging of the show remains as relevant today as it always did, and even though the World Wars have been well mined for content, this show still manages to feel fresh and exciting.
There is something in this show for everybody and I can wholeheartedly recommend it for any and all theatre goers.
Oh What a Lovely War is playing at the Southwark Playhouse Borough until the 9th December. Make sure you get yourself a ticket!