Oh What A Lovely War

This was a first rate production with which it would be difficult to find any real fault. It was fast moving with singing and acting to very high standards. RLT concentrates almost exclusively on straight plays, so it was great to see a musical of this calibre played so well. All the six ladies and ten gentlemen in the cast combined to tell the story of the conflict that was supposed to end all wars and they did it extremely well. Attired throughout in pierrot costumes with the addition of a hat, jacket or other vital piece of clothing to denote nationality or whatever, it was easy to follow the story. There were also wartime photos of the soldiers in the trenches and so forth displayed on a screen at the back of the stage. The set was minimal leaving plenty of space for movement.I know the references to the sheer numbers of deaths and casualties was a real shock to the audience. The seven-piece band played off-stage throughout and the accompaniment was excellent. I understand at the finale, when the words: 'We Will Remember Them' appeared on the screen, the band also stood in silent tribute behind the scene as did the cast on stage. I found it all very moving  An excellent production.

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