Ad disclosure: We were provided with press tickets for the purpose of this post.
Although I’ve read many Michael Morpurgo stories, including The Nine Lives of Montezuma, which holds a special place in my heart as a childhood favourite, War Horse was one I managed to miss. Yesterday, Lydia and I attended the stage adaptation of War Horse at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. We were both utterly captivated by the production & it definitely left a lasting impression.
Told from the perspective of Joey the horse, War Horse is a tale about his experiences during World War I and the attempts of Albert, who raised Joey from a foal, to find his beloved horse and bring him home to England after his father sold him to the British Army.
The stunning puppets from Handspring Puppet Company are the heart & soul of this touching story. Working closely with director Tom Morris and choreographer Toby Sedgwick, they brought Joey and his fellow horses to life on the National Theatre stage in 2007. Since its original debut, War Horse has garnered numerous awards, opened on West End and Broadway, and embarked on tours across various countries. It’s no wonder this play has become one of the most successful productions of all time.
The horses are undoubtedly the stars of the show. Lydia and I had the privilege of meeting Joey on stage and interacting with him during a morning visit to the theatre. Despite knowing that Joey was a large puppet operated by three talented puppeteers, he seemed to come alive in their hands. It was almost as if you could forget that he was made of mechanical parts, even up close.
As we walked to lunch after meeting Joey, Lydia couldn’t stop talking about how alive he appeared. The puppeteers have truly mastered the art of replicating horse movements, from the twitching of their ears and tails to the way their legs move and how they interact with each other and people.
Each horse in the production is operated by three puppeteers: Tom Quinn as Joey’s ‘Head’, Lewis McBean as the ‘Heart’, and Michael Larcombe as ‘Hind’. The puppeteers rotate through the roles, so Tea Poldervaart, Robin Hayward, and Gun Suen operated Topthorn yesterday but also perform Joey on other days. This is necessary because the puppets are large and even get ridden around the stage at times. Topthorn’s role is smaller than Joey’s, so switching between the two evens out the workload.
This production of War Horse, directed by Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry, began in September 2024 and will continue to tour the UK until November. It is an absolutely stunning piece of theatre that offers a fresh perspective on the First World War. It reminds the audience that people are all just people, regardless of their nationality. Soldiers on both sides of the war yearned for peace, criticised the stupidity of war, and simply wanted to return home to their families. Sadly, this sentiment feels more relevant than ever in today’s world.
One of the most poignant moments of the play is when two soldiers, an Englishman and a German, rescue Joey from No Man’s Land. Despite their opposing sides, they put aside their guns and pause the fighting to try to communicate together and help a wounded animal. The audience hears both sides of their conversation in English, while they struggle to understand each other’s language. This highlights the similarities between them, despite their differences.
The entire cast delivers outstanding performances throughout the show. Tom Sturgess’s portrayal of Albert Narracott and Alexander Ballinger’s Captain Friedrich Muller stand out as particularly stellar.
Throughout the show, Sally Swanson, occasionally joined by other cast members, appears on stage to sing beautiful folk-style songs that help tell Joey’s story. The music is absolutely captivating and effectively conveys the emotions of the narrative.
The staging of War Horse was cleverly simplistic, using just wooden poles and a free-standing door and window to transform into a farmyard, or metal railing depicting the bow of a boat. Constant use of sketches projected onto a large piece of ‘paper’ suspended above the stage brought each scene to life, making it incredibly effective. These (often animated) pictures started with scenic vistas of the English countryside, portraying Joey’s happy life on the farm in the first act, but were full of the devastation of war in act two. Combined with the fantastically clever use of lighting and sound effects, we were easily transported out of the theatre to the battlefields of France.
While War Horse is full of tough topics and really hits you emotionally, there are moments of levity to stop it becoming too maudlin. Squabbling family members, bantering soldiers, and even a determined goose all got the audience laughing at points during the story, adding some comic relief.
Lydia says: It was an incredible performance! I am still thoroughly amazed by the puppet, and the puppeteers’ ability to make it feel so alive. When watching, you are easily immersed in the story and forget that the horse isn’t real. The singing was also beautiful, contributing to the overall magic of the compelling story and characters.
The actors make you feel so attached to Albert and Joey, portraying their bond in a way that really touches your heart. One of my favourite parts was the fighting sequence between the two horses, Joey and Topthorn, as it really shows how much emotion can be shown through a puppet. It was also very fun to meet the horse beforehand, and the fact that the puppeteers stayed in character the whole time really proves their dedication. In short, it was a spectacular performance and all the actors played their parts perfectly!
War Horse is at the Alex until Saturday, 19th July, before continuing its UK tour. The show lasts around 2 hours and 20 minutes, with an interval, and is suitable for ages 10+.
War Horse is a spectacular piece of theatre with remarkable storytelling and, hands down, the best puppetry I have ever seen. I think it is definitely worth going to see while you can!
