OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
Theatre Royal Stratford East presents
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
1 Feb - 15 Mar 2014
Oh What A Lovely War
We are delighted to announce that we will be producing Oh What A Lovely War in spring 2014, directed by Terry Johnson and designed by Lez Brotherston. Tickets are now on sale.
Kerry Michael, Artistic Director at Theatre Royal Stratford East said:
“We are very excited to be bringing Oh What a Lovely War back to Theatre Royal Stratford East in its 50th anniversary year and to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the First World War. Joan Littlewood’s landmark production was ahead of its time when it was first staged here, challenging our perceptions of war. It also played a significant part in the transformation of British Theatre. We are very proud that we have assembled a world-class creative team for this important production. We will remain true to the spirit of the original and will be re-creating it to resonate with modern audiences.”
Oh What A Lovely War, a satirical musical about World War I, is a comment against war in general and remains relevant in today’s environment.
Joan Littlewood adapted the play from Charles Chilton’s work for radio through her company Theatre Workshop.
It was an immediate hit, transferring to the West End in June 1963, opening on Broadway in 1964 and receiving four Tony Award nominations including Best Musical.
Joan Littlewood’s Musical Entertainment
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
by Theatre Workshop, Charles Chilton, Gerry Raffles and Members of the Original Cast.
Title suggested by Ted Allen.
Military Adviser Raymond Fletcher
Creative Team
This reimagined production will be directed by Terry Johnson. Johnson has won nine British Theatre awards including Olivier Awards for Best Comedy and Playwright of the Year. In 2010 he won the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles. His theatre credits as both director and writer are prolific including End of the Rainbow (2010-11) which was nominated for three Olivier Awards, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (2009) and most recently Hysteria (2012) with Antony Sher.
The production will be designed by Lez Brotherston. A long time collaborator of Matthew Bourne, Lez, has worked on most of Matthew’s productions including Swan Lake, Play Without Words, Edward Scissorhands, Car Man and most recently The Sleeping Beauty. Lez’s other work includes Sister Act, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Acorn Antiques, Into The Woods and The Far Pavilions all in the West End, and The Little Mermaid on Broadway.
Tickets for Spring 2014
Phone lines may be busy, please book online if possible.
Tickets from £6.50 to £28
Previews at 7.30pm
1, 4, 5 & 6 Feb 2014 - all seats £15
Weekday mats at 2pm
£19/£15/£14/£12/£10 (concessions £12.50/£10/£9.50/£8/£6.50)
Newham schools: £7.50 per child with 1 teacher free per 10 children
All Other Schools: £10 per child with 1 teacher free per 10 children
Weekday evenings at 7.30pm & Sat mats 2.30pm
£22/£18/£17/£14/£12 (concessions £14.50/£12/£11.50/£9.50/£8)
Fri & Sat eves at 7.30pm & Sun mats 3pm
£28/£24/£19/£16/£14 (concessions £18.50/£16/£12.50/£10.50/£9.50)
Groups
10 tickets for the price of 9 via Box Office (full price tickets only, not available online).
Newham Discount Night
Sat 1 Feb 2014 at 7.30pm
Tickets at £2.50 available for Newham residents who are first-time bookers at Theatre Royal Stratford East (proof of address required). Tickets not available online.
Schools Bookings
Please call our Box Office to make a school booking on 020 8534 0310, Mon – Sat between 10am and 6pm.
Our experienced staff will be able to assist you in selecting a show and seating, and will be able to invoice you when you book.
Schools performances are planned for the following dates at 2pm:
Feb 13 / 18 / 20 / 25 / 27
Mar 4 / 6/ 11 / 13
Ticket prices:
Newham schools: £7.50 per child with 1 teacher free per 10 children
Non-Newham Schools: £10 per child with 1 teacher free per 10 children
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have some questions about the show and we hope you can find the answers here.
It is still very early days for the production so please bear with us! As more information is known we will update it here on our website.
Will the new show be the same as the original?
We don’t want to second guess what our creative team will come up with. We are delighted to have Terry Johnson and Lez Brotherston who will be an exciting creative partnership.
It is too early to tell you about how it will be staged – this will be developed by the creative team and cast.
Will the show have the same script and songs?
It is too early to say exactly how the show will be staged but it will be in the spirit of the original.
Who will be the cast?
We don’t yet know - we will be announcing the cast later in the year.
What will the run time be?
We don’t know what the run time will be although most shows are no more than 2 hours and 30 minutes. We will publicise the run time here on our website when it is known.
Is the show suitable for children?
It’s too early to give clear guidance. We would anticipate it being suitable for children 15+ and will publish further advice when more is known.
Oh What A Lovely War
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