A CAST of just five men is creating maximum impact at The Courtyard, where Blackeyed Theatre presents Oh What a Lovely War in the first date of a nationwide tour.

For someone who didn’t pay a lot of attention in history lessons, this production brilliantly and movingly fills in the gaps.

Hard-hitting yet humorous, comic yet catastrophic, Oh What a Lovely War portrays the brutal reality of the First World War in a way that is totally accessible to every member of the audience, however limited their knowledge of the events it depicts.

The multi-tasking cast - precariously reliant on multiple costume changes and various props and all playing a variety of musical instuments and acting - are led by the excellent Paul Morse who deftly explains the politics of the situation while keeping the audience both engaged and entertained. As narrator he is empowered by the only scenery there is - an overhead projector displaying images of war and the cold hard facts, including the shocking number of those who died, all in dramatic contrast to the comic role play taking place on stage.

The other four, equally skilled, members of the cast, Lee Drage, Ben Harrison, Tom Neill and Mark Pearce adopt an impressive variety of accents and genders to demonstrate how no-one, whether humble housewife or high-ranking army captain, escaped the realities of ‘the war to end all wars’.

The witty dialogue mixed with familiar music hall numbers like Keep the Home Fires Burning provides a light counterpoint to the harsh subject matter, creating a powerful piece of theatre that leaves its audience greatly saddened that so many were lost in their name and impressed at the hugely inventive and creative way in which the realities have been revealed.