Oh What a Lovely War

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What happens when three historians watch a key play about the First World War?

This month we took a field trip to see Oh What A Lovely War at the Leeds Playhouse. As a result we discuss the nature of the performance, the changing image of Douglas Haig, and wonder whether audiences were supposed to sing along.

References

Alan Clark, The Donkeys (1961)
John McCrae, In Flanders Field (1915)
William Phillpot, Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century (2010)
Dan Todman, The Great War in Myth and Memory (2005)
Oh! What a lovely war (Original London Cast) (1983)

Other episodes

A Very Long Engagement 

What does the First World War look like when the story is driven not by battles, but by loss, hope and unanswered

The Choral

Can a film about the First World War work without trenches or battles?

Christmas Truce

Can a story about soldiers shaking hands in the snow carry a warning for the nuclear age?