With Downton Abbey currently reminding us of the horrors of life in the trenches during the First World War, this revival of Joan Littlewood’s musical entertainment makes a timely appearance.

The story of the war is told in a music-hall fashion, with joking asides to the audience, sketches and songs from the era. All these are performed by five actors who not only play many parts, but also provide their musical accompaniment.

The bare stage is decorated with assorted costumes on what first appear to be dummies, but as these are used it soon becomes clear they are in fact on white crosses.

As the battles take place, the number of casualties appears on the backdrop along with the ground gained. The losses are horrendous, while the gain is almost always nil. One small quibble is that the projected images need to be slightly higher as the actors occasionally obscure the text and figures.

The scene on Christmas Day, when English and German soldiers meet and exchange carols and gifts, remains as spellbinding as ever, while the war profiteers, meeting at a grouse shoot, continues to appal. Among the lighter moments there is a wonderful scene where new recruits are instructed by a demented sergeant major played by Robert Harding.

He is joined by the equally hardworking Ben Harrison, Joseph Mann, Tom Neil and Paul Morse, who gets to drag up for the female characters.

Congratulations to a highly inventive production of a show that still packs an emotive punch.