REVIEW: Oh What A Lovely War at MAST Mayflower Studios

Roll up, Roll up! And take your seat as ‘Oh What A Lovely War’ plays at MAST Mayflower Studios. This is modern musical theatre at its very best! It’s the story of the First World War but not like you’ve quite seen or heard it before. Blackeyed Theatre are touring this satirical drama on the 60th anniversary of Joan Littlewood’s theatrical entertainment – bringing all the folly, farce and tragedy of WW1 to Southampton. After not really knowing what to expect going into this show, all I can say coming out of it is that I now understand why it has received the awards it has! My only question would be, “How hasn’t it won more?!”. The story is an unanimous voice from the trenches, showing a snapshot of what life was like in the war, being told through what seems to be a circus type show playing a game they call the ‘War Game’.

Everything about this production was incredible. I was so worried that with it being 60 years old and the story matter being that of the First World War, it was going to feel incredibly dated – but it felt far from it. I’m still blown away by how much I actually enjoyed this show, genuinely incredible! Of course the music and story was period accurate, but it was the way in which it was presented that kept this story from feeling totally depressing. I also love how you didn’t need an encyclopaedic knowledge of WW1 history to understand everything that was happening; and bits that we may not have understood were explained and played on by the cast as well. This is something director, Nicky Allpress, has done incredibly well. You felt an insane range of emotions throughout the show. There was lots of laughing, some crowd participation, and some complete reflective silences. All things that were only possible because of the phenomenal cast.

I think this is potentially the most talented cast I have seen on a stage.

The cast were the heart behind this show. They were everything. Literally EVERYTHING. They were the band. They were all multiple characters. They all played multiple instruments. They were singers. They were dancers. They were bilingual (both talking and singing), not to mention their range of different accents. I think this is potentially the most talented cast I have seen on a stage. Oh and to top it all off? There were only 6 of them! I can’t pick out just one performance to highlight as they all played such an integral role to the show, each bringing something individual. As I’ve said, just phenomenal and super fun!

In no particular order, Tom Benjamin brought a big sense of control not only over the stage but also the audience in his narration and forth wall breaking. Tom Crabtree had his work cut out to make his professional debut in such a busy and complex show, bravo! Harry Curley had the ability to morph characters on stage without you even noticing, seamless. Alice E Mayer’s performance was inspired. The energy she brought to that stage was sublime, and what a gift to be able to sing, act, dance and play a range of instruments as she can – that’s far better than a triple threat! Much the same can be said about Euan Wilson and Chioma Uma. Euan’s performance was hilarious and powerful. From before the show had even started, right to the end, you were either laughing or in deep thought about what was going on. The on stage bond between him and Harry was also admirable. Last but certainly not least, Chioma’s voice was incredible and again her energy levels and bond with Alice was spot on. How impressive that each actor could also talk/sing in another language, seamlessly transitioning between different accents and languages simultaneously! All of the cast cannot be praised enough. They were all constantly doing something, and it all fell into place like clockwork. 

The set was incredibly effective, yet quite simple. What you saw was sort of what you got. The set was fixed as the inside of a big-top tent you’d get at a  carnival, with instruments dotted around the stage for the actors to play. The entrances were through the ‘tent-like’ curtains at the back and any set changes to portray a different place were all done on stage with different props rather than actual big pieces of set. It was very contemporary and forced you to use your imagination, but it just worked remarkably well! Victoria Spearing (set designer) has worked very closely with the cast and Adam Haigh (movement designer), to make this as smooth as possible. I also really liked how simple yet effective the lighting was. It wouldn’t have looked out of place in a 1920s theatre, yet certain spotlights would signify different things like bombs or shells going off. To top this all off, looming over the set was a projection of certain stats/pictures that would basically finish every scene off. This was so perfect and powerful in really hitting home the reality of the satirical twist on the story. 

I also need to add that the costume changes were much like the set changes. Very contemporary and mostly done on stage quickly, again forcing us to use our imaginations. I specifically liked the dinner party/dance scene the best. The work between the cast and Naomi Gibbs (costume designer), make this feel so natural and like you could follow along the story no matter how complex it got at times. 

You CANNOT miss this show.

As for the music, I’ve already mentioned that the cast were the source of this. The songs were all so easily recognisable. Some songs were sung a-cappella with some of the most beautiful, touching harmonies you have ever heard; and some songs were played with full accompaniment from the cast playing different instruments (if not multiple at the same time). Musical director, Ellie Verkerk, also did a fantastic job at having the cast play the score to the musical as well. Not only did they play the score, but also nearly all of the sound effects were from the instruments. There was even times when parts of the set being moved became percussive, adding an extra edge to the music. I can’t stop thinking about the part in the show where Tom starts singing with his ukulele, and begins to get progressively drowned out by bombings to the point of sensory overload, making the audience feel as if they were in the soldiers shoes. Incredibly efficacious. 

To sum up, this musical is just incredible! Everything about it is to be desired. I think there a lot of musicals out there that can look at this one and learn something from it. Taking a stab at the military incompetence of the First World War, along with the disregard for human life makes you question so much about life even today. To do this in a satirical way, yet still powerful enough to keep a sense of meaning is incredible. You could feel the shock from the whole audience when the stats were revealed from different battles, after just learning the blunt way in why those battles were even fought. If you get the opportunity, you CANNOT miss this show. ‘Oh What A Lovely War’ is touring until May 2024 and it’s going to be a real shame to see it finish its run. Until then I wish all the amazing cast and crew the best of luck going forward.