Oh, What a Lovely War!

Hart House Theatre
Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2020

By Ted Allan and Charles Chilton and Joan Littlewood and Gerry Raffles

Directed by Autumn Smith *

A clownish look at the foibles of combat, Oh, What A Lovely War! is a satire with songs that questions humanity’s glorification of battle and the cycle of violence.

This modern staging will take this classic, WWI themed play and place it firmly in 2020, within the world of gamers and mega-violent video games, to force a look at how we pass along warlike thinking to the next generation. This show is presented in association with Hart House’s 100th Anniversary and salutes the House’s historic connection to the military efforts in the Great War.

For this project, Toasterlab coordinated the use of Motion Capture for the creation of the John Bull avatar in addition to the digital content production across the .

Cast

Rebecca Bauer
Avatar 4 / Austria-Hungary / Fr. Aide / Captain Ian Hamilton

Simon Bennett
Player 2 / Burt Higgins

Ethan Curnett
Player 3 / Jack Smith

Raechel Fisher
Avatar 7 / Britain / Douglas Haig

Kristiaan Hansen
Player 1 / John Fraser

David Jackson
Player 6 / Edward Davies

Mackenzie Kelly
Avatar 6 / Germany / Kaiser Wilhelm

Mark McKelvie
Player 5 / William Robinson

Katie Ready-Walters
Avatar 2 / Serbia / Violinist / Wilson / Chaplain

Jillian Robinson
Avatar 5 / Russia / Pankhurst / Homefires / Noel Des Enfants soloist

Patrick Teed
Player 4 / George Hiscox

Khira Wieting
Avatar 1 / France / Lanzerac / British General / Percussion

Production Team

  • Director – Autumn Smith *
  • Music Director- Justin Hiscox
  • Projections Designer – Ian Garrett
  • Assoc. Projs Designer – Alexandra Caprara
  • Costume Designer – Yasaman Nouri
  • Lighting Designer – Ella Wieckowski
  • Sound Designer – Kelly Anderson
  • Stage Manager – Mary Keenen
  • Scenic Artist – Edith Nataprawira
  • Head of Properties – Elizabeth Friend
  • Head of Wardrobe – Janelle Stewart
  • Assistant Director – Dhanya Ashley Dass *
  • Assistant Stage Manager – Hareem Haider
  • Assistant Stage Manager – Mackenzie Horner

Production Photos: Scott Gorman

Other Images: Ian Garrett