Peace and goodwill? Haverstock School pupils perform war satire for festive show

IT is not the obvious pick for a festive show – but producers of Haverstock School’s Christmas play wanted to do something a bit different this year.
Pupils performed an edited version of Joan Littlewood’s epic and controversial musical Oh! What a Lovely War.
The production team created a giant map of the world on the floor and pupils sang with rifles dressed in trad­itional “pierrot” costumes.
The satire, about World War I and the folly of war in general, features era songs including “Pack up Your Troubles” and “Keep the Home Fires Burning”.
The school’s head of drama John Wadmore said the pupils coped well with the script’s “sophisticated jokes”.
Producer Odette Cohen added: “We wanted to do something different this year – it was really ambitious.”
TOM FOOT