MEDIA RELEASE: FRIDAY 11 MAY 2007

In a gas-lit Edwardian music hall, a troupe of entertainers entices young men to embark upon the biggest adventure of their lives. There’s the promise of exotic lands, sex on tap and ‘the King’s shilling’, all dressed up in an appeal to patriotic duty. Just don’t mention the nasty likelihood of becoming cannon fodder in a muddy, bloody foreign field.

OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR, MATE! uses a pastiche of WW1 popular songs, music, dance, comedy skits and political spin juxtaposed with a visual montage of newspaper reports, casualty lists, recruiting posters and battlefield photographs to expose the hype and hoopla that surrounded the grim realities of the conflict.

Nick Enright’s adaptation of Joan Littlewood’s classic anti-war satire highlights the Australian experience as young men left cities, towns and farms for the shores of Gallipoli and the trenches of the Western Front. It was first performed at new theatre in 1980 and we are very pleased to be reviving it as part of our 75^th birthday season. It will be followed in July by another much-loved Aussie musical: Dorothy Hewett’s THE MAN FROM MUKINUPIN.

Directed by Rosane McNamara
Musical Director: John Short
Set: Barry French & Mitchell Lavender
Lighting: Tony Youlden
Costumes: Lucy Jensen
Choreographer: Celeste O’Hara

Featuring: Ali Aitken, Jennifer Brian, Chris Cao, Elizabeth Cartmer, Callum Chynoweth, Barry French, Shannon Haritos, Sarah Herlihy, David Hilton, Rich Knighton, Ingrid Maganov, Iain McDonald, Andrea Pinnock, Nicholas Richard, Leigh Rowney, Adam Salter, Gina Schien, John Short, Kim Short, Penn Short, Brian Somerville, David Walker and Alice Wheelwright

OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR, MATE!

7 JUNE – 7 JULY 2007

Thursday – Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 5pm

Tickets: $27 / $22 / $15 school groups / $10 Preview Wednesday 6 June

Bookings: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com Schools bookings only: 9519 3403

For all media enquiries, including interviews and images, please contact: newtheatre@bigpond.com / 9519 3403