The War of the Innocent and the Victory of the Power: The Great War and "Oh What a Lovely War" by Theatre Workshop

Abstract

The First World War, which many consider to be the most significant milestone in the history of humanity, ushered in a new age and shaped the borders of many brand-new countries. Not only in England but also in many other parts of the world, the war is remembered for its destruction of an oppressed class at the hands of distant yet controlling capitalists. This distinction between the classes constituted the basic theme of the masterpiece by Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop; Oh What a Lovely War, which ran a new movement and a new approach to the theatre traditions in Britain. The work was incredibly adept in taking the advantages of Brechtian stage techniques while depicting the distance of a ruling class from the realities of the War. Despite the censorship of the English Government, Theatre Workshop caused a stir across the nation and later, the play was staged in the West End and on Broadway, and it received numerous prestigious awards. This study focuses on the class struggle between the soldiers and officers during World War I, the atrocities of the War, the economic and political dimensions of the War and Joan Littlewood’s approach to these issues within the context of Oh What a Lovely War by Theatre Workshop.