Oh What A Lovely War
The Haymarket
Until October 23

A POLISHED production of Joan Littlewood’s powerful play at The Haymarket is both visually stunning and thoroughly entertaining.

Oh What A Lovely War, first staged in 1963, is a virtually non-stop series of scenes and songs chronicling the First World War through historic documents, songs and harrowing statistics.

Shocking average life expectancies and millions of lives lost with literally nothing gained, are facts simply too horrific to take in.

The audience also sees glimpses of the home front, where women are making shrouds and explosives and succumbing to the propaganda machine.

But, as the French playwright Moliere, said: “Laughter should open the mind of the audience so that the nails of reason can be hammered in.”

By examining some of the sheer absurdities surrounding the Great War Oh What A Lovely War has audiences tittering to the end.

Director Richard Williams keeps this Anvil Arts production relatively light, allowing a series of figures and images projected on to the back of the stage speak for themselves.

A whitewashed stage, steps, walls and backdrop framed by lights present an empty canvas for the players.

But before even mentioning the actors, one of the pleasures of this production is the ostensible part played by set designer David Collis and lighting designer Stephen Holroyd, whose lighting effects are crucial and virtually serve as an extra cast member.

Spotlights, footlights, shadows, projections, and coloured lighting are all the more effective on the white backdrop and projected onto a cast dressed in white clown suits with white painted faces.

The tireless players are first-rate and credit must be given to them for remembering such a vast number of queues and props with apparent ease.

Philip Benjamin stood out for his great physical comedy – aided by his stature – and impressive range accents and spoken German, and Jo Castleton and Anne-Marie Piazza both have beautiful voices.

As well as acting and dancing, the actors multi-task by playing an impressive range of instruments between them.

The production is a prime example of all areas of a show - from design to choreography, direction and cast - pulling together resulting in an excellent, and poignant, evening of entertainment.