An Oh! What a Lovely War of the Malayan jungle in 1948. The stage version was a smash. The film, despite enjoyable performances, snappy choreography and a good many bright moments, never quite works. Being an Eighties product, it tries to be all things to all filmgoers, injecting real drama, real sex and real blood into the central theme of a camp (in more ways than one) concert. So what with trying to be Lovely War, The Virgin Soldiers and It Ain't Half Hot Mum all at the same time, it's no wonder the film never finds an identity. But there are great compensations, notably John Cleese, presenting Basil Fawlty in uniform as the God-fearing, high-stepping major, and Denis Quilley, richly pleasurable as the perfumed Queen of the Boards - a really expert performance that never puts a crooked finger wrong. Perhaps the most unexpected hit of the show is Nicola Pagett, absolutely bursting with talent as the Welsh-Indian (difficult accent but she just about gets it) 'black velvet' girl who keeps the camp's few heterosexual boys in line (waiting). The interludes from the unit's show are so good that the fringe drama could be better than it is and still not stand up to them! Look quickly for Julian Sands as a sailor.

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