The stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's best-selling book is a compelling story bursting with empathy and horror, where we follow a country boy growing a strong bond with his horse and going as far as the front line to protect him.
The stage adaptation has been running for nearly 20 years, with the original experimentation given legs by the National Theatre in 2007. Since then, it really has found its feet with numerous productions around the world, a film, and this refined modernisation.
In a small Exeter town, Albert’s father, played by Karl Haynes, drunkenly purchases a young foal at auction. Albert, played by Tom Sturgess, is given responsibility for the foal, naming him Joey. They quickly become thick as thieves, but when the First World War breaks out Joey is sold into the army. A distraught Albert conscripts to look for his horse, with only a sketched drawing as a guide.
Joey and Albert’s separate journeys through the hellscape of the Somme valley allow the audience to witness the horrors of the First World War through both human and animal eyes – a twist on many other wartime retellings, and an invitation to the audience to de-centre the human experience.
Sturgess’ youthful spirit and excellent vocal performance drive the early stages of the story, whilst Haynes’ drunken stupor reminds us of the hardships faced by many during rural pre-war England (although the family’s worry about affording their mortgage is just as relevant in the modern day). The swaggeringly naïve confidence of the sergeants leading scores of young boys to their deaths in France, with a fabricated hope of returning by Christmas, drives home an emotional punch. Alexander Ballinger brilliantly and heartbreakingly depicts Friedrich Müller, a war-weary German soldier desperate to get home to his daughter.
The real heroes of this story are the actor-puppeteers of the two horses, Joey and Topthorn. They are each made up of a team of three strong individuals within a wire and leather frame, complete with harnesses and levers to bring the animals to life. The teams create impressive vocal whinnies and breathing effects. Although this might sound like a pantomime horse from a bygone era, it is a remarkable feat and a real challenge when the horses are mounted by the sergeants, requiring strength and stamina by the actor-puppeteers within the horse's frames (designed, fabricated and directed by Adrian Kohler).
The direction from Tom Morris and revival director Katie Henry creates a seamless journey with a large cast of puppets and actors sharing the stage but never crowding it, with clever transitions and use of props. A singing narrator, played by Sally Swanson, is a touching new addition.
This revival of War Horse is a powerful reminder of how theatre can combine craft, performance, and emotion to tell stories that resonate across generations. It's a visually striking and emotionally moving production that continues to prove its timeless relevance.
It runs until 16 August.
Review: Sebastian Calver Photo: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg