Atten-shun! Lytton Players get fell in to learn rifle drill from Royal British Legion ahead of Stevenage production

Curtain up for Oh What A Lovely War next week

One thing’s for sure – it will be all over by Christmas. In fact, it will be all over before the month is out, because the latest Lytton Players’ production is only scheduled for a four day run.

The show in question is an appropriate choice in the year which marks the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

The revival of Oh, What a Lovely War, first devised by Joan Littlewood and the famous Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East in the 1960s before being quickly transferred to the big screen, is a chronicle of the horrors of the conflict told through the songs and documents of the period.

A recruiting call has produced a platoon of 17 performers, who will be playing a multitude of different parts from General Haig to the Kaiser.

The long-suffering Tommies in the front line play a central part in the story, and the company called in expert help from Stevenage’s Royal British Legion to drill the raw recruits into shape.

Chairman Major John Jeffery and parade marshall John Bird were happy to pass on their expertise to make sure of an authentic display when the curtain goes up next week.

Legion supporters will be selling poppies at performances next week, and the Players will also be making a donation to the cause from the box office.

You can catch the show at the Lytton Theatre in Vardon Road, Stevenage each evening from next Wednesday, October 15 to the following Saturday, with performances starting at 7.45pm, with a 2.30pm matinee planned on the Saturday as well.

Call the box office on 01438 357407 to reserve tickets, which are £10 for evening shows and £8 for the afternoon performance.