War Horse tells the remarkable story of a young boy called Albert and his horse Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War. It is a timeless story of love, courage and friendship, brought to life by astonishing life-sized horses from Handspring Puppet Company and a stirring musical score.
Love is invariably stronger than war, but those who fight can’t always tell their stories. Until now. Powerfully moving and phenomenally inventive, War Horse charts an animal-eye view of bravery, resilience, and the enduring loyalty of friendship. At the outbreak of WWI, young Albert’s horse Joey is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France, triggering a dangerous and desperate journey to bring him back home. With hundreds of miles between them, both Albert and Joey must run the gauntlet of fate and enemy fire, in an attempt to be reunited once again.
Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford, War Horse is a magnum opus of ground-breaking puppetry, featuring South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, and a masterpiece so lifelike it’s been inspiring a generation of theatre-makers since its premiere in 2007. Now touring the UK and Ireland, against the backdrop of the 110th anniversary of the First World War, the show that speaks through the heart of everybody is ready to welcome a brand new audience to its 8.3 million strong, and counting.
This tour revival of War Horse is created by director Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry, drawings, set and costume designer Rae Smith, puppet designer Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company, lighting designer Rob Casey, director of movement and horse choreography Toby Sedgwick, puppetry director Matthew Forbes, animation and projection design by 59 Studio. Music is by Adrian Sutton with songmaker John Tams, sound designer Christopher Shutt and music director Dom Coyote. Casting is by Jill Green CDG with Paul Benzing as Fight Director, Rebecca Daltry as Dialect Coach and Cathleen McCarron and Shereen Ibrahim as Voice Coaches.
Completing the team are, Anna Marshall as Associate Director, William Fricker as Associate Set Designer, Johanna Coe as Associate Costume Designer, Tom Turner as Associate Lighting Designer, Lewis Howard as Associate Puppetry Director, Matthew Gough as Music Associate, Rob Bettle for Sound Quiet Time as Associate Sound Designer, Emma Laxton as Associate Sound Designer and Olivia Laydon and Tom Shiels as Casting Associates.
At the outbreak of the First World War, young Albert’s beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. Too young to enlist, Albert refuses to forget him, embarking on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of wartime France – determined to bring Joey home.
War Horse received its world premiere on 9 October 2007 at the National Theatre, where it played for two seasons before opening at the New London Theatre in March 2009. Since then, War Horse has been seen in over 100 cities in 15 countries, including productions on Broadway, in Toronto and Berlin, with touring productions in the UK and Ireland, North America, the Netherlands and Belgium. Michael Morpurgo’s global best-selling novel has now sold over 2 million copies worldwide and in 44 different languages.
The remastered original cast recording of War Horse with music by Adrian Sutton and original songs by John Tams has been re-released by Broadway Records. The recording consists of 23 tracks featuring the original singers and musicians and is available as a physical CD in the NT Bookshop and on all digital streaming platforms.
Digital education resources and activity packs for War Horse are also available via the National Theatre website to support students, teachers and young theatre makers to engage with the production. Free resources include a downloadable activity pack to build your own NT puppet theatre, a free writing webinar and tutorial video with War Horse playwright Nick Stafford, and workshop plans and primary and secondary learning packs for teachers to use in the classroom.
Tickets for the stage production are available from nationaltheatre.org.uk. Recommended for ages 10+.
