Photos: First Look at the UK Tour of OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR

Blackeyed Theatre presents a major revival of Oh What a Lovely War to mark the 60th anniversary of Joan Littlewood’s epic anti-war musical.  A cornerstone of modern musical theatre and one of the very greatest stage satires, Oh What a Lovely War will tour nationally from September to include a three-week run at Southwark Playhouse Borough.

Check out all new photos below!

Conceived and developed by Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop in 1963, Oh What a Lovely War remains a classic of modern theatre, a fusion of timeless songs – including Pack Up Your Troubles and It’s a Long Way to Tipperary – razor-sharp satire and high jinks, offering a satirical account of the First World War as seen through the eyes of the common soldier.

Wildly satirical, visually stunning, and deeply moving, the show is a hilarious, heart-breaking snapshot of life for those caught in the crossfire of conflict, a unanimous voice from the trenches and a timely warning from the theatre of war itself.  Now, more than ever, it holds a mirror up to the world and speaks to us all.

Oh What a Lovely War stars Christopher Arkeston (Only Fools and Horses: The Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket; Revolting Women, Mikron Theatre Company; Much Ado About Nothing, Cambridge Shakespeare Festival), 2023 Rose Bruford graduate Tom Crabtree, Harry Curley (Once, Barn Theatre; Summer in the City, The Gatehouse; Caligari, Underbelly), Alice E Mayer (Frankenstein, Blackeyed Theatre; The Chronicles of Wild Hollow, Audible; Y Mabinogi, Welsh tour), Chioma Uma (Brief Encounter, New Wolsey and UK tour; Kiss Me Kate, Watermill Theatre; Cinderella The Rockin’ Panto!, New Wolsey Theatre) and Euan Wilson (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Vienna English Theatre; The Great Gatsby, Immersive London; Stick Man, UK tour).

The production is directed by Nicky Allpress (The Shape of Things, Park Theatre; The Walworth Farce, Southwark Playhouse Elephant; My Brilliant Friend, National Theatre), with musical direction by Ellie Verkerk (Burnt City, Punchdrunk; The Color Purple, UK tour; SIX, West End and UK tour) and movement direction by Adam Haigh (The Mikado, Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour; Ruddigore, Wilton’s Music Hall; Kiss Me Kate, Leicester Curve).