Judging by the cast of this satirical musical, the future of live theatre will be in highly competent hands for at least one more generation. This was a Strode College presentation of the Joan Littlewood classic. The distaff members of the cast could equally have been the finalists in the Miss World contest. Representing each of the countries that went to war, they were totally stunning. Of course, a winning contestant did emerge, but I am not sure of this beauty's name. Suffice it to say, I do believe that I have witnessed a star being born. Chris Carruthers, fresh from his triumph in the title role in The Importance of Being Earnest, caught the eye once again. His role as the drill sergeant in the bayonet scene was the highlight of the show for me. The 1914-1918 great war was supposed to be the war to end all wars. Oh yeah! In the week when it has been announced that we have now lost 100 soldiers in Iraq, it makes a mockery of warmongering politicians, whichever side of the Atlantic they come from. Even more ironical is the fact that more than 12,000 British service men and women have been killed on active service since 1945. In the war to end all wars, 10 million lives were lost, 21 million people were injured and a further seven million went missing. 38 million casualties! Horrendous. Give peace a chance. It is a sardonic fact that 21,000 Americans became millionaires thanks to World War I. Masters of war indeed. Strode College is a wonderful breeding ground for new talent, and most of the males in the cast also shone. If one is to make a slight criticism of the show, it would be about the beginning and end. The start seemed a little bit disjointed, whilst the end came rather abruptly. Notwithstanding that, the professionalism and attention to detail were of the highest order. The man playing the role of Earl Douglas Haig was portrayed as a tyrant with scant regard for the loss of life. Even more ironically, fortuitously, or in typical fashion, he was the last man standing at the end of the war. When Oh What a Lovely War came out as a film, I thought it was superb. The only other stage productions I have seen of it have all been college productions at various venues. None of these other performances can hold a candle to the offering of Strode College. There were some musical highlights too. The plaintiff rendition of Keep the Home Fires Burning really tugged at the heartstrings. The narrator was brilliant as he encouraged the audience to sign along in the tongue twister - Sister Susie's sewing short soft shirts for soldiers. It isn't surprising that Sister Susie also received loads of epistles saying they'd rather sleep on thistles. Anyone who has ever had to 'break in a brand new military shirt' will empathise with the poor lads in the trenches. In all, this was a wonderful night's entertainment, which leaves me eagerly anticipating the next production from Strode College. | 
