According to a BBC article, Director Joan Littlewood was not convinced that the material would make a successful stage show until it opened and got good reviews. Once that happened, she tried to remove Charles Chilton's name from the credits. Chilton had written the orignal BBC radio version, then a revised version, and then revised it further for the stage production.
Chilton got his name back, later saying: "But I had a good agent and he got my name back. Joan was so impressed she took him on as her agent."
According to a BBC article, the family of Field Marshal Douglas Haig objected to what they felt was a crudely mocking portrayal of him in the show and tried to prevent the show from moving to a West End run after its run at Stratford East. Cast member Victor Spinetti remembered a performance that Princess Margaret attended in the company of Lord Cobbold, who was the Lord Chamberlain. In that capacity, he was the official censor of theatrical productions, and he could have prevented the move.
According to Spinetti, "Afterwards Princess Margaret came backstage and said 'Well Miss Littlewood those things should have been said many years ago - don't you agree, Lord Cobbold?' He gave a thin smile and said 'Oh yes ma'am'. And Joan knew that was our permission to go into the West End."
The performance schedule at Wyndham's was evenings at 8:30, with early performances also at 5:30 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so the show was performed at 5:30 and 8:30 on those days.
When the production opened at Theatre Royal, Stratford East, there were 15 in the cast (four women and 11 men). During the run there, the cast increased to 19 (five women and 14 men). The larger cast was retained for the move to Wyndham's Theatre.
Three original cast members (Ann Beach, Bettina Dickson and Brian Cronin) left while the production was still at the Theatre Royal.
