‘A work of genius’
The Guardian

‘A masterly evocation of the First World War through song’
The Independent

You can read reviews of this production here or watch a short movie of the production here.

It’s 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. Your king and country need you, so be a real man, enlist today! But the propaganda promise of valour and victory is quickly revealed to be a fatal myth, as the donkeys in command send the lions on the front line to die with mind-blowing arrogance and incompetence. But throughout it all, they keep on singing!

Oh What A Lovely War is a moving, funny, lyrical evocation of the tragedy and pathos of the First World War; one of the most futile and ferocious conflicts in history. Armed with sketches, songs and stories, a cast of Pierrot clowns mix their sombre buffoonery with the bawdy, tough humour of the squaddies on the front line to take you on an incredible journey across Europe: from the optimism of the British home front to the blood-soaked fields of Flanders. Along the way, the story is marked by a fantastic collection of songs from the Great War such as ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’, ‘Keep The Home Fires Burning’ and ‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’. Oh What A Lovely War is a groundbreaking and stunning revelation of a conflict that wiped out a whole generation of young men throughout Europe.

Still as relevant today as when it was first seen in London in 1963, this brilliant satirical musical is one of the great landmarks of post-war British theatre. With all the punch of Saving Private Ryan, the hilarious satire of Blackadder Goes Forth and some of the most evocative and celebrated music of the last century, this show epitomises the best and most vital theatre produced by the Octagon over an incredible 40 years.