Almost two decades after at first premiered, the critically-acclaimed War Horse stage show still feels unbelievably fresh and cutting-edge – delivering a highly emotive theatre experience.
Arriving at The Regent Theatre, in Hanley, this week this truly evocative and highly moving play is utterly compelling from start to finish, bringing out the themes of war loss, grief and love – delivered and performed with a power that is uncommon.
Based on the excellent book by acclaimed children’s author Michael Morpurgo, the play tells the story of one boy’s quest to be reunited with his horse, Joey, which has found its way to the front line of the hellish battlefields of World War One.
A major part of the success of the show is the puppetry that makes it feel as though the horse itself is on the stage in front of you. Tireless work from the talented puppeteers brings realistic movement to the horse from nervously standing in the farmyard, ears twitching, to powering majestically over battlefields.
More than the physical movement of the horse, the puppeteers also give Joey an emotional dimension that plays directly into the heart-wrenching story to make Joey a central character to the play in the very richest sense of the word.
This intensity of detail in the creation of the animals onstage, and their supporting persona, is matched by the atmospheric staging. A page of a sketchbook that has been ripped out hangs across the stage, as the sketches push the movement on while the actors stand below mired in trenches or marching onto the battlefield. The dark, brooding atmosphere that surrounds the stage works to capture the horror of war, played out alongside the personal story of Albert Narracott’s mission to reunite himself with his horse.
Taking on the role of Narracott, Tom Sturgess, was excellent in bringing an emotional intensity to the role that truly conveyed a huge sense of grief and loss at the thought he may never see his beloved horse again, and how much that relationship meant to him as a human. Engaging and likeable, Sturgess’ performance is key to the emotional resonance of the play – while all characters are played with a sincerity and authenticity that gives this show its power.
To add to the atmosphere, haunting folk songs cut across the stage at carefully timed moments, delivered by Ann-Marie Piazza, the folksy music further adding a mournful note of the devastation the war brought – and the personal tale that is playing out within that.
The Puppeteers – Rianna Ash, Chris Milford, Tommy Goodridge as Joey, and Jordan Paris, Eloise Beaumont-Wood and Felicity Donnelly as fellow war horse Topthorn – worked tirelessly from the start to the very end of the show, never missing a beat as they controlled the horses to make it feel as though there were sentient animals on the stage, to powerful effect.
I first saw this show more than 10 years ago and watching it this week as it returned to The Regent Theatre it was startling how cutting-edge and powerful the puppetry remains – and how ahead of its time the play was. Directed by Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry this production of War Horse is an exceptional piece of theatre, bringing a history that should never be forgotten to life through rich storytelling.
One not to miss, War Horse is at The Regent Theatre from now until Saturday March 8 – limited tickets still available online.
CNM
