Even having seeing this show twice before, I was buzzing to see War Horse again at the Regent in Hanley. It’s up there with my favorite stage shows, and without giving anything away, you’d be crazy if you didn’t put it up there with yours too. My son Callum has been reading the novel, and it was great taking him along to see it on stage and see all of his reactions throughout.
The Regent theatre have gone above and beyond in embracing its arrival by celebrating their 20 year partnership with the national theatre!
For those of you that don’t know what War Horse is all about, it’s based on the novel by children’s writer Michael Morpurgo, which tells the story of a foel named Joey, and it’s set during World War I. Joey is separated from his owner Albert, sold to the Cavalry and shipped off to France. But as he becomes caught up in enemy fire, fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in No Man’s Land.
But Albert can’t forget Joey and he embarks on a dangerous mission to find his friend and bring him home.
It’s won numerous major awards, and Steven Spielberg also translated it to the big screen in 2011 which was also a huge success. Even Her Majesty the Queen & her husband Prince Phillip went to see the stage show in the West End in 2009.
Joey is the star of the show right from the start as a young foal, later bursting onto the stage breathtakingly as an adult. Incidentally this was my son Callum’s favourite moment, and the look of awe on his face was incredible to see. This moment made the hair on the back of my neck stand up the first time I saw it, and it still had the same effect this time around.
Joey is soon joined by Topthorn, a sleek black horse who he ends up being loyal shoulder partners with whilst pulling German guns. These magnificent horse puppets are created by South Africa’s Tony Award winning HandSpring Puppet company, and If I were forced to choose one word to describe them, it would be “majestic”. They are so life like, it almost seemed wrong to call them puppets! I defy anyone not be become emotionally attached to them as the show progresses. The producers and the actors obviously did their research and spent a great deal of time around horses to get it right.
They gallop, charge, breath and articulate the movements of a real life horse, which is testament to the actors controlling them, who I’m told go through rigorous training to produce the desired effect . You’d be forgiven for forgetting that they are indeed puppets, albeit rather large ones. It’s an all round winner! The audience get to see these marvelous creatures on stage, and the crew get out of having to muck out a stable every morning!
It’s plain to see that the cast talk about them like they’re real horses, and even talk directly to them as well as patting and stroking them which helps to add to the illusion. You’d think it was impossible to bring this show to the stage, and even the writer was skeptical at first. But it works, and it works so unbelievably well that you actually begin to feel a whole range of emotions, and not just for not just the horses. There is a whole cast of other animals with puppeteers controlling them that create moods, and invoke laughs, tears and cheers from the audience. I find it difficult to describe it and you will too… so trust me and just go with it. Whatever you want to call it, it’s simply heartwarming.
As soon as Albert & Joey first begin to interact on stage in a heart warming display of trust, you know instantly that you’ll soon be on an unstoppable roller coaster of emotions! The actor playing the role of Albert was excellent, showing all the naivety & passion that you’d expect from the lovable character.
The story is narrated throughout in the form of folk songs playing on the accordion, and every so often, the whole cast come together on stage and sing as a full choir, giving some of the show’s biggest moments a glorious edge!
The challenge for Rae Smith, the designer of War Horse, was representing World War 1 onstage. The original story moves so quickly from one scene to another that any stage design would have to move with the speed of the audience’s imagination, so she decided to be poetic with everything.
The original inspiration for the story came from an oil painting of an unknown horse by a competent but anonymous artist. At the bottom of the painting was an inscription dated autumn 2014 which said that the horse’s name was Joey and the name of the painter was Captain James Nicholls. So Rae decided to base the whole stage design on her interpretation of the painting, right from the design of Joey to the huge projection screen above the stage, modeled on a page ripped from Captain Nicholls’ sketch book, on which the audience will see moving land scapes, floating clouds, horizons and battle fields.
The stage set up is so minimalistic compared to other shows I’ve seen, but the props are used to full effect so as to create the changes in scene. Even the cast are used in a creative multitude of ways to emulate different items and situations, and the lighting and music are used to set the mood throughout the show. It’s hard to describe, but it’s wonderful to see. In fact, it’s so effective that one can only marvel at the artistic talent behind it all. The end result is an imaginative representation of the world during World War 1 that the whole audience can appreciate and relate to.
Quite simply, War Horse is incredible! It’s an outstanding showcase of art, poetry, history, and literature all rolled into one heart warming anthem for peace. A roller coaster ride that’ll have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, and if you’ve not got tickets yet, take my advice and get them now! You have no idea what you’re missing! Over 7 million people in 11 countries can’t be wrong!
On a more thoughtful note, this third tour for War Horse will be playing to audiences during the 106th year since the end of the First World War, and during the current conflict between Russia & Ukraine. What better time is there to share in a story that brings out our universal longing for a world without hatred & conflict.
War Horse will be showing at The Regent Theatre in Hanley until Saturday 8th March. Tickets can be purchased online at www.atgtickets.com or by calling the Regent Theatre Box Office on 08448 717649.
Please note: This show contains loud sound FX, gunfire, flashing lights and strobe lighting.