Oh, What A Lovely War!
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''Oh, What a Lovely War!'' is an
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
developed by Joan Littlewood and her ensemble at the
Theatre Workshop Theatre Workshop is a theatre group whose long-serving director was Joan Littlewood. Many actors of the 1950s and 1960s received their training and first exposure with the company, many of its productions were transferred to theatres in the West ...
in 1963. It is a
satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
on
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, and by extension on war in general. The title is derived from the "somewhat satirical"
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...
song "Oh! It's a Lovely War!", which is one of the major numbers in the production.


Development

The idea for the production started on Armistice Day 1962 when Gerry Raffles heard the repeat of the second version of Charles Chilton's radio musical for the
BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...
, called ''The Long Long Trail'' about
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Written and produced by Chilton in memory of his father''The Show to End All Wars'', Simon Russell Beale, BBC Radio 4 2013-09-1

/ref> whose name was inscribed on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, memorial at
Arras Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
, the piece was a radio documentary that used facts and statistics, juxtaposed with reminiscences and versions of songs of the time, as an ironic critique of the reality of the war.''The Cambridge History of British Theatre'' pp. 397–401 Jane Milling, Peter Thomson, Joseph W. Donohue (2004 Cambridge University Press)
accessed 19 October 2007
The songs were found in a book published in 1917 called ''Tommy's Tunes'' which had new lyrics written in the trenches to well-known songs of the era, many from hymns or from West End shows. Bud Flanagan provided the voice of the "ordinary soldier". The title came from the popular
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...
song " There's a Long Long Trail A-Winding" published in 1913, mentioned in the introduction of ''Tommy's Tunes''. Raffles proposed the idea of using it as the basis of a production to his partner, Joan Littlewood, but she detested the idea, hating
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, military uniforms, and everything they stood for. Gerry though, brought Chilton along to the theatre and they played through the songs. Eventually Littlewood considered it might work, but refused any military uniforms, deciding on pierrot costumes from
Commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...
very early on as a "soft, fluffy entertainment mode" providing an ironic contrast to the tin hats which they also wore. Littlewood said, in 1995, that "Nobody died on my stage, they died in the film – that they ruined". She wanted audiences to leave the theatre laughing at the "vulgarity of war". The idea was to portray how groups of people could lose their sense of individuality by conforming to those of a higher authority, which Littlewood despised. The
Theatre Workshop Theatre Workshop is a theatre group whose long-serving director was Joan Littlewood. Many actors of the 1950s and 1960s received their training and first exposure with the company, many of its productions were transferred to theatres in the West ...
developed productions through improvisation and initially the cast would learn the original script but then have that taken away and have to retell the story in their own words for performance. Each member of the Theatre Workshop was tasked with learning about a particular topic, such as
Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...
or gas. As the production developed, it also used scenes from ''The Donkeys'' by military historian (and future Conservative politician) Alan Clark, initially without acknowledgement: Clark took Littlewood to court to get credited. Some scenes in the production, notably one on the first time the trenches were gassed, were worked on for many days only for Littlewood to conclude they were too horrific for an audience, and delete them. This was another reason why uniforms were not worn in the production.


Productions

The musical premiered at the Theatre Royal Stratford East on 19 March 1963 to rave audience reaction. Kenneth Tynan's review in ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' was titled "Littlewood returns in triumph". The official censor did not grant permission for a transfer to the West End until
Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...
attended a performance and commented to the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Cobbold, that "What you've said here tonight should have been said long ago, don't you agree, Lord Cobbold?"; at this point the transfer was more or less assured despite the objections of the family of Field Marshal Haig. It was an ensemble production featuring members of the theatre's regular company, which included Brian Murphy, Victor Spinetti, Glynn Edwards and Larry Dann, all of whom played several roles. In 2023, Dann shared his memories of the production for his autobiography, "Oh, What A Lovely Memoir". The sets were designed by John Bury. The production subsequently transferred to Wyndham's Theatre in June of the same year. The production was a surprise hit, and the musical was adapted by the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
for radio several times. The musical premiered in the United States on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on 30 September 1964 and closed on 16 January 1965 after 125 performances. It was seen there by actor and former subaltern Basil Rathbone, who wrote to Charles Chilton that "we were duped, it was a disgusting war". Directed by Littlewood, the cast featured Spinetti and Murphy, plus
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.
. It received four
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nominations: for Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Featured Actress, and Best Featured Actor, winning Best Featured Actor. Spinetti also won the Theatre World Award. From September 2023 until May 2024, a 60th Anniversary production by Blackeyed Theatre toured the UK.


Description

The original production was performed with the cast in pierrot costumes and metal helmets due to Littlewood's abhorrence of the colour khaki and anti-war feelings. Behind them projected slides (operated by projectionist Tom Carr) showed images from the war and a moving display (what Littlewood called her "electronic newspaper" from having seen one in East Berlin on a railway bridge) across the full stage width with statistics, such as "Sept 25 . . . Loos . . . British loss 8,236 men in 3 hours . . . German loss nil" and "Average life of a machine gunner under attack on the Western Front: 4 minutes". Separating the performers from the actual events in this way would stop the audience collapsing in tears, and the production features such World War I-era songs as " It's a Long Way to Tipperary", " Pack up Your Troubles" and " Keep the Home Fires Burning". Harsh images of war and shocking statistics are projected onto the backdrop, providing a contrast with the comedy of the action taking place before it. The audience were also invited to join in with singing the songs. The first act was designed to draw the audience in with the sentimentality of the songs, and the first explosion does not take place until the end of Act 1 during ''Goodbye...ee''. Act 2 then brings the horror of war to the production.


Title song

The song "Oh! It's a Lovely War" was written by J. P. Long and Maurice Scott in 1917 and was part of the repertoire of
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...
star and male impersonator Ella Shields. The lyrics of the first verse and the chorus are as follows:


Musical numbers

Sequence and casting based on the 1964 Broadway production''


Act 1

* "Row, Row, Row" (lyrics by
William Jerome William Jerome Flannery (September 30, 1865 – June 25, 1932) was an American songwriter, born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, of Irish immigrant parents: Mary Donnellan and Patrick Flannery. He collaborated with numerous well-known composer ...
, music by James V. Monaco)
– The Ensemble * "We Don't Want to Lose You (Your King and Country Want You)" (music and lyrics by Paul Rubens) – The Ladies * " Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser" (music and lyrics by Paddy Ellerton) – Valerie Walsh * "Are We Downhearted" – The Men * " It's a Long Way to Tipperary" (music and lyrics by Jack Judge and Harry Williams) – The Men * "Hold Your Hand Out Naughty Boy" (music and lyrics by Murphy and David) – The Men * " I'll Make a Man of You" (music and lyrics by Arthur Wimperis and Herman Finck)
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.
* " Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag" (lyrics by George Asaf) – The Men * "Hitchykoo" (lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert, music by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams)Fanny Carby * "Heilige Nacht" – Colin Kemball * " Good-bye-ee!" (lyrics by R. P. Weston, music by Bert Lee)Victor Spinetti


Act 2

* "Oh What a Lovely War" – The Ensemble * "Gassed Last Night" – The Men * " Roses of Picardy" (music by Haydn Wood) – Linda Loftus and Ian Paterson * "Hush Here Comes a Whizzbang" – The Men * "There's a Long Long Trail" (lyrics by Stoddard King) – Ian Paterson * "I Don't Want to Be a Soldier" – The Men * "Kaiser Bill" – The Men * "They Were Only Playing Leapfrog" – The Men * "Old Soldiers Never Die" – Murray Melvin * "Far Far from Wipers" (music and lyrics by Bingham and Greene) – Colin Kemball * "If the Sergeant Steals Your Rum" – The Men * "I Wore a Tunic (When You Wore a Tulip)" – Ian Paterson * "Forward Joe Soap's Army" – The Men * "Fred Karno's Army" – The Men * "When This Lousy War is Over" – Colin Kembal * "Wash Me in the Water" – The Men * "I Want to Go Home" – The Men * " The Bells Of Hell Go Ting-a-ling-a-ling" – The Men * " Keep the Home Fires Burning" (lyrics by Lena Gulibert Ford, music by
Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...
)
– Myvanwy Jenn * " Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts" (lyrics by R. P. Weston, music by Herman Darewski) – Barbara Windsor * " La Chanson de Craonne" – The Ensemble * "Don't Want to Be a Soldier" – The Ensemble * "And When They Ask Us" (music by Jerome Kern, parody lyric by
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...
, after original Kern song " They Didn't Believe Me"''The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter'', edited by Robert Kimball, Knopf, 1983)
– The Ensemble


Adaptation and in culture

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, film director, and Film producer, producer. Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Acade ...
's
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
was released in 1969, also as a musical, and won numerous awards. It was Attenborough's debut as a film director. Several Australian World War I movies and miniseries (e.g. '' The Lighthorsemen'' and ''
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
'') have used these songs to give a stronger sense of period to them. The 1985 series '' Anzacs'' used "Oh, it's a lovely war" as one of the numbers while the credits rolled, had "I wore a tunic" performed as part of an entertainment piece while the characters were on easy duties, used "Keep the home fires burning" as another credit number, and featured "The Bells of Hell" sung by Tony Bonner and Andrew Clarke.


Awards and nominations


Original Broadway production


2002 London revival


2010 UK tour


2014 Stratford revival


See also

* List of plays with anti-war themes * List of anti-war songs


Citations


General and cited references

* Arthur, Max. 2001. ''When This Bloody War Is Over: Soldiers' Songs from the First World War''. London: Piatkus. . * Banham, Martin, ed. 1998. ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.'' Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...
. . * Brockett, Oscar G. and Franklin J. Hildy. 2003. ''History of the Theatre''. Ninth edition, International edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. . * Eyre, Richard and Nicholas Wright. 2000. ''Changing Stages: A View of British Theatre in the Twentieth Century''. London: Bloomsbury. . * Milling, Jane and Peter Thomson, eds. 2004. ''The Cambridge History of British Theatre''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 397–401. .


External links


Lyrics from ''Oh What a Lovely War''
*

{{Authority control 1963 musicals Anti-war musicals British musicals Historical musicals Musicals about World War I Tony Award–winning musicals Satirical musicals fr:Ah Dieu ! que la guerre est jolie tr:Oh! What a Lovely War