War Horse at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 7th May 2025. A review by James Jordan. I have heard it said that War Horse, Nick Stafford’s stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s best-selling 1982 war novel, is the most successful play in the history of the National Theatre. I absolutely loved reading the book, but never saw the play which made its debut back in 2007. This production, with direction by Tom Morris and Katie Henry (revival director), gives the likes of me a second chance to catch the phenomenon, now touring the UK once more. The story follows the life of a young lad by the name of Albert, faithfully raising a beloved foal that he christens Joey, on the family farm in Devon. As Joey and Albert both grow and bond, their lives are turned upside down when the church bells toll out the chilling call to World War One. Joey the horse is sold to the military by Albert’s unscrupulous and drunken father, and is dispatched forthwith to the frontline. The story revolves around the fate of the horse and the young man who makes it his life’s mission to be reunited with the animal he loves, trekking across war torn Europe in search of his beloved equine companion.

Rae Smith’s stage design is simple yet highly evocative – there is a single scrap of torn paper unfurled across the back of the stage with projected images of the settings we visit; farmyard, countryside, trench, village. The animations and shadow puppetry are beautiful, focusing our minds on the locations without distracting from the live action taking place below. This synchronisation between the scene played out below and the video backdrop above really enhances the production and ensures that we as an audience are always clear about where the action is located, thus eliminating the need for complex or distracting set changes.

Music is used to perfection – songs written by John Tams are performed beautifully by The Singer (Sally Swanson). Swanson acts as an emotional narrator throughout, the spirit of the piece if you will, appearing at key moments to musically punctuate them. The wartime songs are evocatively spectacular.

Of course, it is the puppetry that we’ve all come to see. Designed by Handspring Puppet Company and choreographed by Toby Sedgwick, these moving sculptures are so incredible that you quickly forget that they aren’t real. The most detailed of the puppets are of course the horses, Joey and his later equine companion Topthorn. From Tail flicks to subtle movements of the ears, to a look or a posture, a slight movement of the head, these beasts truly come alive in the hands of their super talented puppeteers. The trio who operate Joey (Tea Poldervaart at the Head, Robin Hayward/Ross Green at the Heart and Gun Suen at the Hind) are quite simply incredible. The life that they breathe into the puppet horse is nothing short of magical. When placed alongside Topthorn (Tom Quinn at the Head, Lewis McBean at the heart, Michael Larcombe at the hind) it really is like watching two horses interact on the stage. Kudos also to the team that animates young Joey (Diany Samba-Bandza at the Head, Jordan Paris at the heart and Eloise Beaumont-Wood at the hind). They move in such a realistic way and yet are also majestically balletic. Human and puppet are always in complete harmony – it is impossible to see where one ends and the other begins. It is quite spectacular to behold.

The relationship between Joey and young Albert (Tom Sturgess) is tender and touching. Sturgess shines in this leading role, and it is his total belief in Joey that encourages us as an audience to suspend all disbelief and interact with him in just the same way. The synergy between these performers is completely stunning.

The whole company of players (and there really are lots of them) are incredible, but in particular Alexander Ballinger, who gives an excellent performance as Captain Muller and Jo Castleton who plays Albert’s mother Rose with poignancy and verve.

There are other puppets to look out for too – don’t miss the Goose – a legend in his own lifetime upon the stage. A scene stealing joy to behold!

All in all, the National Theatre’s production of War Horse deserves every bit of the reputation I described at the start of this review. The storytelling is immense – a huge company, dazzling projections and life sized horses make this an impeccable piece of theatrical spectacle. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a schmaltzy tale just for kids though – it is not. It does not shy away from describing the horrors of war. It is in so many ways a sombre story that gives pause for thought. That said, it is also a touching tale of true friendship, and a masterclass in the art of puppetry. I loved it. And so did this opening night audience who leapt to their feet for an overwhelmingly joyous standing ovation. I am totally blown away by the show. Do not miss this iconic piece of theatre.

War Horse runs at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Sunday 18th May 2025. Be sure to get your tickets.