The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse, directed by Tom Morris with revival director Katy Henry, opened in Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall this week, bringing to life the classic story by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford, with unique artistry and dynamism.
The incredibly talented touring cast were accompanied by haunting music from singer Sally Swanson; deeply impactful animation throughout, and handmade, life-sized puppets provided by South Africa’s award-winning Handspring Puppet Company. Together, the varied artistic elements of this production – as well as outstanding performances from its cast – moved and enthralled audiences in Nottingham on its opening night.
War Horse tells the story of young Albert and his horse, Joey, against the backdrop of World War One. The play follows the relationship between them prior to and during the outbreak of the war, separation throughout the fighting, and the aftermath of the armistice for Albert and Joey. The play remains as timeless as it ever has been, and its contemporary relevance was difficult to ignore as the tragedies of war played out onstage. War Horse, despite its tragic themes, is ultimately a celebration of humanity, encapsulating the lives of all those impacted by World War One through the tale of one boy – and his horse.
The relationship between Albert and Joey was portrayed expertly by actor Tom Sturgess, and the puppeteers playing Joey on this night. Sturgess’ performance of Albert was characterised by a skittish energy, which gave him an endearingly boyish charm. The dynamism of his character, I felt, really tied him to Joey and it felt as if they moved as one. For example, when Albert first mounts Joey as a young boy, effortlessly jumping on his back with a proficiency and energy none of the other characters could manage.
Although War Horse did centre the relationship between Albert and Joey, the other relationships in the play did not suffer this. Most touching for me was the relationship between Albert and his mother (Rose, played beautifully by Jo Castleton) which, above everything, this adaptation wisely chose to close the play on, in a touching display of familial love. Background relationships, and characters as a whole, were developed with incredible sensitivity in this production, a testament to the actors and creative team alike.
Truly, the puppets deserve a review of their own. Having taken eight months to manufacture, the care and craftmanship paid to their creation by the Handspring Puppet Company was clear
Truly, the puppets deserve a review of their own. Having taken eight months to manufacture, the care and craftmanship paid to their creation by the Handspring Puppet Company was clear. As was the skill displayed by the team of puppeteers (Tea Poldervaart, Robin Hayward, Ross Green and Gun Suen) who operated Joey on this night. Their ability to move together to create the mannerisms of a real horse, down to visible breathing patterns, was incredible – aided by the horse sounds created by the actors themselves. This was equally true of the puppeteers operating Topthorn (Tom Quinn, Lewis McBean, Michael Larcombe) and Young Joey (Diany Samba-Bandza, Jordan Paris and Eloise Beaumont-Wood), who were able to give the horses their own personalities through movement. (You can read our interview with puppeteer and actor Damian Lynch here.)
Standout moments where the puppets are concerned included Young Joey’s transformation into older Joey, Joey bonding with Albert in the ‘oat scene’, and – most impressively – the charging of the cavalry. While the titular war horses were undeniably impressive, the puppet that stole the spotlight for me had to be the goose puppet, providing moments of comedy from the beginning.
The set and lighting of War Horse was minimal, but impactful due to its simplicity. What attracted me to the set design most, was a dynamic use of props by the actors to create scenery, allowing different settings to flow between each other seamlessly. The use of smoke and shadows were incredibly effective – for example, in the beginning, creating the shadows of small birds across the projection on the back of the stage. The muted colours used in both costume and set design, made vibrant moments such as gunfire and camera flash incredibly jarring, succeeding in making the audience jump each time. The use of projection and animation throughout the performance was stunning. It was more effective and less jarring than I had perhaps anticipated, partly due to the effect of the projection looking like aged paper – the type that could be used by soldiers writing home in war – and how seamlessly it interacted with other onstage elements. For example, how the charging cavalry felt as if they were coming out from the projection itself. The interactions between different artistic elements is part of what made this production of War Horse so spectacularly unique, and one I will not forget any time soon.
This production of War Horse was stunning. Even as an audience member who was only vaguely familiar with the story prior to watching this adaptation at the Theatre Royal, it captured my attention and greatly moved me throughout. This, I know, was shared by my fellow audience members as I witnessed laughter, tears and a shared gasp at the climax of the play.
War Horse is on at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham between Wednesday 7 May – Sunday 18 May. Read our interview with puppeteer and actor Damian Lynch here.
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