Oh What a Lovely War
Costume Design
1963 (designed)
1963 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Costume design for Oh What a Lovely War (1963), by Una Collins
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Oh What a Lovely War (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and ink and wash on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design for Oh What a Lovely War (1963), by Una Collins |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | AUGUST THE TWELFTH/ GROUSE/ UNA COLLINS (Handwritten by Una Collins) |
| Gallery label | Re:Imagining Musicals, 15 October 2022 - 4 February 2024
First World War
The title, design and music of Oh What a Lovely War were intended to be provocative and undercut sentimentality. Contrasting the references to violence with patriotic lyrics, the show’s numbers, ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’, ‘Pack up Your Troubles’ and ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’, were sung against a screen showing statistics of fatalities from different First World War battles. The ‘end of the pier’ faux joviality was a ground-breaking format for communicating a strong political message.
Original London cast recording of Oh What a Lovely War
1963
Designed by George Mayhew
Printing ink on card
Museum no. BMT/2/1/2053
Given by Overtures: The Bunnett-Muir Musical Theatre Archive Trust
Costume design for Oh What a Lovely War
1963
Designed by Una Collins
Pen and wash on paper
Museum no. S.318-2019
Given by Theatre Royal, Stratford East(2022) |
| Credit line | Given by Theatre Royal, Stratford East |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.318-2019 |
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| Record created | July 4, 2019 |
| Record URL |
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