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London,
Fiona Mountford's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Marianne Elliott, Tom Morris.
Cast: James Barriscale, Finn Caldwell, Paul Chequer, Tim van Eyken, Thomas Goodridge, Stephen Harper, Gareth Kennerley, Craig Leo, Tim Kewis, Tommy Luther, Mervyn Millar, Emily Mytton, Toby Olie, Howard Ward, Alan Williams, Kit Harington, Patrick O'Kane, Roger Wilson
Description: The National Theatre's staging of Michael Morpurgo's novel, adapted by Nick Stafford and directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris.
Times: Mon, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Tue 7pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm (extra mats Dec 23, 2.30pm, Dec 29, 2pm, no eve perf Dec 24, 31, no perf Dec 25), booking to Oct 23 2010
Price: £15-£49.50, child/concs £15-£39.50 (Mon-Thu), premium seats £80
Trains: Tube/BR: Waterloo 
Phone: 0207452 3000
Website: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=1541
Horse play: the stars of the show are the puppets whose silent eloquence makes long wordless passages gripping
War Horse, no neigh-sayer would deny it a second run-out. After universal acclaim, not to mention a hatful of awards for design, last year, Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book about a Devon farm horse amid the horrors of the First World War makes a welcome return.
The stars of this thrilling production from Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris are, once again, the magnificent articulated beasts from Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler of Handspring Puppet Company. Joey the foal has three handlers and skittishly long legs; his towering grown-up self also requires a trio to manipulate him. Every flick of his ears and shake of his head conveys more than a dozen lines of script could, expertly suggesting an innate sensibility of the emotions of all other living creatures.
With such silent eloquence from the puppets, whose beauty is thrown into even greater relief by an almost bare stage, lengthy wordless sections are never less than gripping. There are some harrowing tableaux, and Rae Smith’s impressive gash of video design suspended high above the action helps to reinforce an ominous sense of time and place.
Outside the equine sphere, matters are more problematic. The narrative thrust concerns the efforts of 16-year-old Albert, a desperate under‑age soldier, to track down the horse he nurtured back when the land was green and pleasant rather than carnage-strewn.
Unfortunately, Kit Harington’s Albert is comprehensively out‑acted by Joey, as well as a marvellously inquisitive wheeled goose.
Long passages of German also make us glad that animals speak a universal language.
These are minor quibbles. This is a huge, well-deserved family hit and the National should be stamping its hooves in delight.
Until 24 January (020 7452 3000).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
War Horse is for the kind of adolescents who go gooey over horses. I know that ought to be obvious, but I was expecting a better deconstruction of WWI. Journey's End it is not. It's not even The Accrington Pals. And there's far too much shouting. Ever heard of projection, guys?
- Sarah, London, U.K.
I'm ex-army and I rarely get to see a drama that is enlightening about relationships in the mud. Well written and sensitively played. Well done all. It's Tim Lewis, not Kewis.
- Charles Mayer, London UK
