Oh What A Lovely War returns to its spiritual home in centenary year

A little over half a century after it first brought audiences to their feet, and a full century since the outbreak of World War I, Oh What A Lovely War is set to be recreated in its original home - at the historic Theatre Royal Stratford East, in London The classic musical !as ada"ted by #oan Little!ood in $%&' from a radio "lay, and !ill return to the "lace !here it !as first staged - in a year that marks the $(( th anniversary of the outbreak of the )irst World War - from )ebruary $ st, to *arch $+th ,ne of the legendary "roductions of -(th-century .ritish theatre, the musical "remiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East on *arch $%, $%&', before transferring to the West End later that year, and then o"ening on .road!ay - !here it !as hea"ed !ith a!ards Little!ood/s "lay !as ins"ired by the late Alan 0lark1s book on the ine"t leadershi" of the !ar, The Donkeys 2a title dra!n from the remark attributed to a 3erman commander that the men !ere 4lions led by donkeys45 The original "roduction !as also directed by Little!ood, and !as a fierce satire on the )irst World War, featuring soldiers marching to their slaughter in the trenches as they sang 6aunty songs - such as Its A Long Way To Tipperary , Keep The Home Fires Burning and Pa k up your Travels in !our Ol" Kit Bag - alongside "ro6ections of grim "hotogra"hs and brutal statistics 7escribed as 8a ho!l of rage at the cynicism of "oliticians9, it !as an immediate success !hen it "remiered: but there !as considerable concern over !hether or not it !ould be a""roved for a transfer to the West End by the Lord 0hamberlain - then Lord 0obbold - !ho had to a""rove all "lays before they !ere staged The license, ho!ever, #as granted after ;rincess *argaret attended a "erformance and allegedly remarked< 4What you1ve said here tonight should have been said long ago, don1t you agree, Lord 0obbold=4 The theatre1s artistic director >erry *ichael says< 4We are delighted to be bringing Oh What a Lovely War back to Theatre Royal Stratford East in its +(th anniversary year #oan Little!ood1s landmark "roduction !as ahead of its time !hen it !as first staged here, challenging our "erce"tions of !ar It also "layed a significant "art in the transformation of .ritish theatre 4 The radio "lay on !hich Oh What a Lovely War !as based !as !ritten by 0harles 0hilton for radio and aired in $%&$ as The Long Long Trail The musical transferred to the ?S in $%&@ !ith a cast of actors including .arbara Windsor and Aictor S"inetti A film version, "roduced in $%&% by Richard Attenborough, starred 7irk .ogade and Laurence ,livier Little!ood and her com"any !ere resident at Theatre Royal Stratford East from $%+', !here she also staged the .ritish "remiere of $other %ourage an" her %hil"ren by 3erman "lay!right .ertolt .recht in $%++, and the first ever "erformance of Shelagh 7elany1s A Taste o& Honey in $%+B - one of the "lays dubbed a 1kitchen sink1 drama because of their focus on !orking-class "eo"le in .ritain, and !hich at the time !as also regarded as truly shocking

*urray *elvin, a member of Little!ood1s Theatre Worksho" 0om"any, and no! the theatre1s honorary archivist, recalls< 4It changed everything, it !as a hugely influential sho! - not 6ust in the "ortrayal of !ar, !hich had al!ays been "resented from the vie!"oint of the establishment and the officer class, but in ho! it !as staged The bare stage, and the back-"ro6ected slides, the flash of light and us running out of the darkness to do things, you1ve seen that a million times no!, but then it !as revolutionary 4?" until then it !as all boC sets, loads of makeu", and a""lause for the costumes #oan brought us Euro"ean theatre She !as 6ust a giant of the -(th century 9 This time, the director !ill be Terry #ohnson, !ho has !on theatre a!ards including an ,livier for his o!n "lay Hysteria and a Tony for his direction of La %age au' Folles 4The banner of #oan hangs heavily around my shoulders, the challenge is going to be to live u" to it,4 he said 4,ccasionally you get an offer of !ork that 6ust makes your legs go !eak, and this !as one of them 4 The "roduction, !hich !ill be designed by LeD .rotherston, !ill also mark the centenary of the birth of #oan Little!ood, !ho may yet be immortalised by a statue outside The Royal ;lans are currently in the "i"eline to "ortray her as seen in "hotogra"hs inside the theatre, !hen she cam"ed on to" of a "ile of rubble to "revent bulldoDers from knocking do!n the historic building for develo"ment Today, it stands - Euite rightly - at the heart of Stratford/s 80ultural Fuarter9 )or further information about s"ending time in Stratford, London, visit htt"<GG!!! stratfordlondona"" comG