Oh What a Lovely War: relationships between performers and audience

Oh What a Lovely War: relationships between performers and audience

Detached Observation and Direct Engagement

  • “Oh What a Lovely War” creates a unique relationship between performers and audience that combines detached observation with direct engagement.
  • The audience is encouraged to reflect critically on the action, rather than merely absorbing it passively.

Brechtian Alienation Effect

  • The play employs Brecht’s concept of ‘Verfremdungseffekt’ (alienation effect) to shift the audience’s connection to the action from emotional identification to intellectual critique.
  • This is a technique used to prevent the audience from becoming too emotionally involved with the story and characters, thus encouraging critical reflection instead.

Direct Address

  • Characters occasionally break the ‘fourth wall’ and speak directly to the audience which engages them directly with the themes of the play.
  • The use of direct address is a tool to remind the audience that they are watching a performance and to encourage active, critical participation.

Song and Music

  • The use of songs and music in “Oh What a Lovely War” directly involves the audience, either by encouraging their participation or by shaping the impact on their emotions.
  • The lyrics often contain subtext and social commentary, once again encouraging the audience to engage intellectually with the material.

Satire and Irony

  • The relationship between performers and audience is also shaped by the play’s use of satire and irony.
  • By using these theatrical tools, the play encourages the audience to critically analyse the events of the First World War and its impact, rather than romanticise or glorify war.

Constant Reminders of War’s Realities

  • The use of placards announcing the number of casualties is a stark, continual reminder of war’s harsh realities and the enormous loss of life.
  • This serves to further engage the audience on an intellectual level and provides a grim reality against the satirical tone and musical numbers.