Joan Littlewood’s classic musical farce returns to the London scene in this new montage presented by the Blackeyed Theatre. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know half the battle of this iconic British piece.
We don’t need a bellicose musical themed after a circus to get the idea that politicians are, in essence, all clowns. Governments make a substantial effort to ensure we get that picture everyday – that may also be where all their energies go to (the budget, though, is another story). It’s often said that the best comedy writes itself. If that were the case, creatives have found their golden goose in rulers’ deficient style of doing anything. The more absurd, pathetic and ill-fated their actions are, the better – after all, failure always translates to (a) braver man…
History has the mischievous skill of repeating itself – particularly when we determinedly choose to ignore it. The horrors of war, stemming from humankind’s preposterous wish to conquer and assert its dominance over anything, keep haunting us even centuries later; its victories, never making up for all the grief and destruction they’re meant to cause all throughout. Transforming its dark reality into a musical fantasy of camp and intentional sleaziness is part of the genre’s cult – the outcome sometimes getting bleaker than the true facts. From Cabaret‘s disturbingly beautiful Tomorrow Belongs to Me to Wicked’s seemingly naive One Short Day, the way songs can bring out the somber surrealism that surrounds everyday is, to the very least, astoundingly uncanny.
Travel back a few decades and meet one of the first British musicals to ever do that. Let’s welcome to our stage (just the piece, though) Oh, What A Lovely War, a 1960s satire on World War I and the progress (for lack of a better word) of one of the most devastating events that’s ever whacked history. Developed by theatre legend Joan Littlewood, the show presents us with a group of thespians jumping from character to character to depict the conflict’s evolution. Featuring slapstick comedy, goofy jokes and, above all, a comment on the foolishness of insane military motivations, the work serves as an entertaining lesson on the errors from the past. But after years of chop and change in the artform, that may be the place where it’s also ended up.
Counting on a structure that stands closer to a revue than a musical by today’s standards, it’s not its dispersed repertoire that contributes to the material’s unfulfilling aging – but instead, the fact that there’s not much of a tale to follow through apart from the battle itself. The constant warps from role to role, without any lead to focus on and journey with, poses as nothing but an obstacle for its narrative, hindering it from fully landing and, ultimately, connecting with the viewer. The result, all in all, is a detached recount that, though amusing, fails to bring out the emotion and depth its plot promised.
Directed by Nicky Alpress, the production manages however to elevate the contents into a more edible treat – starting from a rather compelling set design by Victoria Spearing (drawing out the decadent allure of turn-of-the-century travelling fairs) and continuing through Alan Valentine’s significantly expressive lighting. Nonetheless, its enthralling delivery can’t sadly distract us from the lack of pacing and need for more effective numbers (both musically and storytelling wise) the piece, on the whole, suffers from.
Another gem shines through in this montage, nonetheless – such glimmer stemming from the cast’s exceptional qualities as performers. Acting as their own orchestra while regaling us with rather magnetic portrayals, their talented interpretation is, in all honesty, the real reason to make this watch worthwhile. Among them, the highest praise goes evenly to Christopher Arkeston and Euan Wilson, both exuding incredible energy and passion in their renditions, as well as an inborn dramatic ability for register and stage presence.
A tale as old as time in many senses of the phrase, Oh, What a Lovely War maintains its value as a turning point contributor for the growth and maturity of British musical theatre. Yet, the path the genre has walked throughout has left this predecessor quite a few steps behind – and despite the laudable endeavour the company has put to make it thrilling and engaging for current audiences, there’s just as much as they can do at the end of the day. Its archival importance is undeniable, but its capacity to beguile (at least, in the way it did back in its prime) seems to have withered down. Within its own kind, it remains in the front line – but unfortunately, it appears as if we crossed that one long ago.
All pictures credit to Alex Harvey-Brown.
Oh, What a Lovely War! plays at London’s Southwark Playhouse Borough untila 9 December. Tickets are available on the following link.