Oh What a Lovely War, the satirical play about the millions of lives lost in the First World War has been given a modern twist in a new production by Northern Stage, just opened at the Liverpool Playhouse.
The new production sees Joan Littlewood’s tale of incompetent generals and doomed youth played out on a ramshackle set by a cast of talented musicians and singers.
It opens inauspiciously, with a wise cracking narrator strolling on stage, apologising to the audience for interrupting them. Following some pantomime-style banter between the crowd and the self mocking actor, the cast launch into a musical medley, which sees Bruce Springsteen’s ‘War’ combined with Elgar’s ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.
This odd mixture of old and new is present throughout the play. At different intervals TV news graphics flash up on the backdrop, announcing the numbers of lives lost in various World War One battles. This serves as a timely reminder that war is still very much present in our modern lives.
Other touches bring a contemporary political slant to the First World War story. Sir Douglas Haig’s devout belief that God is on the side of the British troops is eerily reminiscent of Tony Blair’s fervent belief in the righteousness of the war in Iraq.
Throughout the play, directors Sam Kenyon and Erica Whyman try to break down the barriers between audience and stage. During scene changes we witness cast members chatting to one another and tuning their instruments. In one particularly powerful scene the audience are placed in the middle of No Man’s Land as British troops on stage make a truce with German soldiers at the back of the theatre.
The set design is deliberately low budget in look. The stage is lit by a row of desk lamps and is strew with ladders and other dilapidated objects, used creatively by the cast during the performance. The actors swap guns for wooden oars and umbrellas, highlighting the innocence of the soldiers facing battle and the incompetence of those providing their equipment.
Most of the credit for this show must go to the excellent and multi-talented cast. The eleven actors are all skilled musicians and singers. They provide all the music and sound effects for the production in an impressive ensemble display. Throughout the show their raucous performances manage to capture the bawdy, music hall atmosphere of the original satire. This atmosphere is further helped by the intimate and old fashioned feel of the Playhouse auditorium which brings the performers and audience closer together.
All in all, this is a well acted and entertaining show. Although some of the exposition scenes can be confusing and slightly clunky, and sometimes the mix of slapstick comedy and sombre reflection doesn’t quite work, it is a play that leaves the audience with a lot to think about and reminds us all about the human cost of war.
8/10
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