Oh What a Lovely War: theatrical conventions of the period

Theatrical Conventions of the Period

“Oh What a Lovely War” marked a major innovation in British theatre, using non-traditional staging techniques that broke away from the well-made play tradition prominent at the time.
The play uses epic theatre conventions, a style popularised by Bertolt Brecht. This includes the use of captions, direct address, breaking the fourth wall, minimalistic set, and alienation effect to make the audience an observer and thinker rather than an emotional participant.
The role of music and songs is crucial in the play, using popular songs of the WWI period but with altered lyrics to highlight the irony and true brutal realities of war. This can be seen as a form of musical satire.

Staging and Performance Style

The set of the play is minimalistic, using only essential props and focusing on the use of signs, projections and visual effects to convey locations and situations. This helps to keep the focus on the narrative, characters, and the underlying themes.
The actors play multiple roles, often changing their characters simply with the shift of a hat or coat. This highlights the idea of the universality of the war experience and the expendability of individuals in the face of mass warfare.
Specific staging techniques like pantomime and slapstick are used to create tragicomic moments that both entertain and inform. This contrasts the grim realities of war with the comedic elements, creating dramatic irony.

Critiques of Socio-Political Context

The play uses the theatre as a platform for socio-political critique, subverting the prevalent pro-war sentiments and questioning the war-time propaganda.
Messages of anti-war critique, class divide, and military bureaucracy are communicated through the story, songs, and visual elements. This was a bold statement in the era that was still grappling with the aftereffects of the war.
The portrayal of the high-ranking military officials is farcical, underlining the incompetence and indifference of the decision-makers in the face of mass casualties. This serves as a stark commentary on the power-dynamics of the period.

These creative approaches combined influences from Modernist theatre, Music Hall traditions, and the avant-garde movement, creating a unique amalgamation that broke new ground in the British theatre landscape.