Based on Michael Morpurgo’s book, War Horse has returned to its original home at the National Theatre nearly two decades after its debut, following a recent acclaimed tour of the UK and Ireland.
The show received its world premiere at the National Theatre on 9 October 2007, before transferring to the New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne) in March 2009, and went on to tour the world.
Coming home to the place where it all started for this milestone anniversary feels poignant.
The Story
War Horse tells the story of a young boy called Albert and his beloved horse, Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War.
At the outbreak of the war, 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, against all odds, to bring his horse home.
It is a timeless story of love, courage and friendship, and the compassion that can exist even in the darkest of human circumstances.
The Production
Brought to life by full-size puppet horses – the defining image of this show and still one of the most breathtaking theatrical achievements – this revival is created by director Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry.
The creative team includes: drawings, set and costume design by Rae Smith; puppet design by Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company; lighting by Rob Casey; movement and horse choreography by Toby Sedgwick; puppetry direction by Matthew Forbes; animation and projection by 59 Productions; music by Adrian Sutton with songs by John Tams; sound by Christopher Shutt; and music direction by Dom Coyote.
The Cast
Bringing Joey to life are puppeteers Rianna Ash, Rafe Young, and Micheal Larcombe, with Jordan Paris, Anita Adam Gaby and Eloise Beaumont-Wood as the younger Joey. Matthew Lawrence, Lewis McBean and Felicity Donnelly operate the magnificent Topthorn. What these performers do with those puppets – the breath, the weight, the personality they conjure, remains one of theatre’s great ongoing miracles.
And then, of course, there is The Goose. As always, the Goose steals the show, receiving the biggest applause of the night for its mischievous attempts to get into places it should not be. A reminder, if any were needed, that sometimes the best theatre comes in the smallest packages.
The Verdict
I am happy to report that after almost twenty years, War Horse has lost none of its magic. There is something worth dwelling on in that, particularly at a time when other long-running productions that rely on spectacle and stagecraft are beginning to feel their age. The Lion King, for instance, is starting to look and feel dated and the technology that once dazzled now sits slightly behind the times. War Horse has the opposite problem – it feels, if anything, more relevant. A handmade, human, deeply physical piece of theatre in an increasingly digital world.
The story itself is a gentle, genuinely educational look at the First World War, showing how animals can forge compassion between even the most unlikely of human beings. It is the kind of theatre that reminds you stories matter.
This is a beautifully written, magnificently staged piece of theatre that has thoroughly deserved every success it has enjoyed. Something tells me it will be back in another twenty years too – and The Goose will still be getting the biggest applause!
★★★★
Reviewed by West End Wilma
Photos by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
War Horse plays at the National Theatre until 30 July 2026
