newspaper" from having seen one in East Berlin on a railway bridge) across the full stage width with statistics, such as "Sept 25 . . . Loos . . . British loss 8,236 men in 3 hours . . . German loss nil" and "Average life of a machine gunner under attack on the Western Front: 4 minutes". Separating the performers from the actual events in this way would stop the audience collapsing in tears, and the production features such World War I-era songs as "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", "Pack up Your Troubles" and "Keep the Home Fires Burning". Harsh images of war and shocking statistics are projected onto the backdrop, providing a contrast with the comedy of the action taking place before it. The audience were also invited to join in with singing the songs. The first act was designed to draw the audience in with the sentimentality of the songs, and the first explosion does not take place until the end of Act 1 during Goodbye...ee. Act 2 then brings the horror of war to the production. Title song The song "Oh! It's a Lovely War" was written by J. P. Long and Maurice Scott in 1917 and was part of the repertoire of music hall star and male impersonator Ella Shields. The lyrics of the first verse and the chorus are as follows: Musical numbers Sequence and casting based on the 1964 Broadway production Act 1 "Row, Row, Row" (lyrics by William Jerome, music by James Monaco) – The Ensemble "We Don't Want to Lose You (Your King and Country Want You)" (music and lyrics by Paul Rubens) – The Ladies "Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser" (music and lyrics by Paddy Ellerton) – Valerie Walsh "Are We Downhearted" – The Men "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" (music and lyrics by Jack Judge and Harry Williams) – The Men "Hold Your Hand Out Naughty Boy" (music and lyrics by Murphy and David) – The Men "I'll Make a Man of You" (music and lyrics by Arthur Wimperis and Herman Finck) – Barbara Windsor "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag" (lyrics by George Asaf) – The Men "Hitchykoo" (lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert, music by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams) – Fanny Carby "Heilige Nacht" – Colin Kemball "Good-bye-ee!" (lyrics by R. P. Weston, music by Bert Lee) – Victor Spinetti