Satire, song and stupidity of war in Ilfracombe next week

A wry look at the Great War with clowns, comedy, song and satire comes to Ilfracombe next week as Studio Theatre presents Oh, What a Lovely War! Set as a pierrot show, it combines the songs which united the ordinary soldiers with a sardonic look at the po

A wry look at the Great War with clowns, comedy, song and satire comes to Ilfracombe next week as Studio Theatre presents Oh, What a Lovely War!

Set as a pierrot show, it combines the songs which united the ordinary soldiers with a sardonic look at the politicians and officers in charge of the carnage, with poignant images from the Western Front contrasting sharply with the comedy action taking place on the stage in this 1960s satire.

Takes your seats at the Landmark Theatre on Thursday of next week (November 5) and Friday, with both beginning at 7.45pm.

Well known songs including Belgium Put the Kaibosh on the Kaiser, Hold Your Hand Out You Naughty Boy, Goodbye-ee, It's a Long Way to Tipperary, Christmas Day in the Cookhouse, Keep the Home Fires Burning and Oh, It's a Lovely War, many with humorous lyrics adapted by soldiers in the trenches.

See the volunteers struggle to learn combat drill, watch the Tommies mingle with the Germans during the Christmas Truce of 1914 and gape at the great European nations as their monarchs, politicians and generals stumble into four years of warfare.

Studio Theatre's cast of 20 share the roles of soldiers, nurses, monarchs, generals, officers, secret police and more from the pre-war empires of Europe, accompanied on the "Joanna" by Mike Riley and commanded from the safety of the auditorium by director Lee Baxendale.

Tickets are available from the box office on (01271) 324242.