Oh What a Lovely War: Joan Littlewood's musical returns to Stratford East - in pictures

Exterior of the Theatre Royal in Stratford in 1963, when the play first opened Photograph: Romano Cagnoni/courtesy of Theatre Royal Stratford East Archive Collection

The musical's drill scene: from left, Brian Murphy, Larry Dann, Victor Spinetti, Murray Melvin and Colin Kemball Photograph: Romano Cagnoni/ Theatre Royal Stratford East Archive Collection

In his Observer review of the musical, Kenneth Tynan wrote: 'It seems to me quite likely that when the annals of our theatre in the middle years of the twentieth century come to be written, one name will lead all the rest: that of Joan Littlewood' Photograph: Romano Cagnoni

A rehearsal of Oh What a Lovely War at the Theatre Royal Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images

Michael Billington has called the original production 'one of the seminal events of modern British theatre' Photograph: Theatre Royal Stratford

Joan Littlewood with acting students in a TV documentary called The Actor from 1968 Photograph: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

Joan Littlewood sits outside the Theatre Royal surrounded by redevelopment and rubble Photograph: PA

Murray Melvin, one of the original stars of Oh What a Lovely War, now runs the archive at the theatre Photograph: David Sim/courtesy of Theatre Royal Stratford East Archive Collection

Avis Bunnage in Oh What a Lovely War at Wyndham's theatre. The production transferred to the West End after its run at Stratford and also went to Broadway Photograph: Romano Cagnoni/Theatre Royal Stratford East Archive Collection

Littlewood sitting of the roof of the Theatre Royal in 1973 Photograph: Guardian

Rehearsals for the 2014 production of Oh What a Lovely War. The show runs until 15 March 2014. Photograph: Nobby Clark