Oh What A Lovely War, a satirical musical about World War I, originally premiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1963. 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.

This production, directed by Terry Johnson, opened at Theatre Royal Stratford East in February 2014, to public and critical acclaim. Due to popular demand, it returns again in 2015, little more than a hundred years since the outbreak of the First World War. This revival was made possible by producer Christopher Malcolm, who passed away shortly after it opened at Theatre Royal Stratford East in February 2014.

Ian Reddington (Eastenders, Coronation Street) and Christopher Villiers (Emmerdale) will join Wendi Peters, best known for her role as Cilla Battersby in Coronation Street, in the ensemble cast. They will be joined by Emma Crossley, Marcus Ellard, Alex Giannini, Richard Glaves, Lauren Hood, Alice Bailey Johnson, William Oxborrow, Mark Prendergast, Neil Stewart and Bleu Woodward.

The musical is packed with familiar songs from the World War I era including It’s A Long Way To Tipperary, Pack up Your Troubles and Keep The Home Fires Burning. The songs are performed against a projected backdrop of images and shocking statistics conveying the harsh realities of war.