Lessons from Joan (2018)

'Lessons from Joan' revisits a vibrant and fascinating moment in British theatre history - the creation and performance of iconoclastic director Joan Littlewood's 1963 satirical World War I musical 'Oh, What a Lovely War!' By exploring the memories of several esteemed actors - members of the original 1963 cast, including Barbara Windsor and Murray Melvin - with archive footage and photographs, 'Lessons from Joan' evokes what it was about Joan Littlewood's technique of theatre writing and directing that made 'Oh, What a Lovely War!' such a fresh and revolutionary theatrical work when it premiered in 1963, why the play inspired a movie adaption starring Maggie Smith, Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud in 1969, and why it continues to entertain and move audiences today.