War Horse has returned for a short run to the National Theatre and it's a must-see this summer.
There have been very few shows that have had the power to reduce me to a sobbing wreck, but National Theatre’s War Horse is one of the very few.
Returning to London almost two decades after it originally debuted at the National Theatre in 2007, this performance still remains one of my most beloved shows that I have ever watched on stage.
The show, adapted from the novel by award-winning children’s author Michael Morpurgo, tells the story of Joey, a thoroughbred horse from Devon who is drafted into the First World War.
It results in his besotted teenage caregiver, Albert Narracott, going on a quest to find him that lasts the entirety of the war.
The horses are portrayed through the artful use of puppets, with puppets for both young and adult Joey, as well as his army comradeTopthorn.
Despite what preconceived ideas people might have about these puppets, after spending a short while watching them and seeing how masterfully they are handled, you really do buy into the story and completely forget they are not real horses.
From the breathwork of the puppeteers, who communicate in time with one another, to the way they use movement — from ear and head gestures — to show how the horses are feeling, these puppets, to put it simply, are pure magic to behold on stage.
Tom Sturgess portrays a moving depiction of the young Albert Narracott through his journey as a farmhand as he embarks on a perilous journey through France.
The set is minimalistic, with projections, lighting and puppets used to convey the changing landscape from the pastoral surroundings of Devon to the bleak and terrifying trenches and No Man’s Land of northern France during the war.
The entire cast gives an incredible performance, showing the emotional turmoil the First World War caused on both sides of the barbed wire, demonstrating real emotional depth with moments of terror, pure heartbreak, friendship and spiritual connection.
War Horse will be playing at the National Theatre until July 30.
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