OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR IS BOTH BEAUTIFULLY POIGNANT AND INCREDIBLY RELEVANT

The Theatre Royal Stratford East production of Oh What A Lovely War, by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, opened at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry last night as part of its UK tour. 

This beautifully poignant musical is still as relevant as ever, illustrated last night by a talented ensemble of performers. Summarising the First World War in just over 2 and a half hours, there is an equal mix of humour and tragedy. 

Ian Reddington's comedic narration eased the change of time and place, including a hilarious mix-up with a donkey photo, but the stand-out performance came from Wendi Peters who was utterly brilliant. I'll Make a Man of You and Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts were particular highlights and Peters seamlessly transitioned between a variety of characters expertly. 

Other notable performances came from Mark Prendergast delivering a beautiful rendition of When This Lousy War is Over, Alice Bailey Johnson's Keep the Home Fires Burning packed an emotional punch and Lauren Hood's Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser elicited many a laugh. 

With 41 songs and numerous scene changes, the direction of this play is no mean feat, but Tony award-winning director Terry Johnson has injected a new lease of life into this revival. The set design from Lez Brotherston was inspired and made for an incredibly touching Christmas Truce scene.

As the number of soldiers died, injured and missing during WW1 scrolled across the screens, the pause in performance made it all the more impactful and was a stark reminder of the horrors of war. 

This really is a gem of a play. With infectious energy, fantastic ensemble numbers and stirring harmonies, it is sure to have a successful run at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, as well as the rest of the tour.

Oh What A Lovely War runs at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry until 4 April and returns to the Midlands in May, when it plays at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 5 - 9 May.