Review: War Horse Returns Home to National Theatre

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Theatre and theatrical invention at its finest

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Nearly twenty years since its original run at The National Theatre and after worldwide success, Joey has come home. Back on the Olivier stage, the emotional and technical jugganaut that is War Horse has lost none of its impact or thrill.

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Theatre keeps surpassing itself with visual awe and technical spectacle. Cars fly, bears come to life and ghostly spectres haunt the stage. But there remains a unique magic to War Horse . It takes three gifted performers to operate the awe-inspiring creation of Joey (on press night it was Matthew Lawrence , Lewis McBean and Felicity Donnelly ), but in many ways you do not even see them. You just see the horse; stamping, snorting and swatting away a fly with his tail. It is stagecraft curated with the utmost care and it still astounds.

Based on Michael Morpurgo ’s beloved novel, War Horse maintains and even exceeds its initial gut-punching impact. Young Albert lives on a farm in Devon and is raising a young foal named Joey. As the dark spectre of the First World War looms, Joey is sold by Albert's drunken father and so Albert enlists to try and save his beloved horse.

Directed by Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry , the aim to show the horror and ultimate futility of war is delivered in spades. Designer Rae Smith sets a huge ripped piece of paper as the backdrop, using pencil sketches of a bucolic countryside, which morph into sihouettes of dead bodies and eyeless bandaged faces as the war takes hold. It is a nightmarish vision, lit with thought by Rob Casey .

Tom Sturgess makes a spirited and sympathetic Albert, with good development between being a younger boy, moving into becoming a man. There is such a palpable bond between him and Joey, making their developing relationship and separation almost unbearably poignant. We follow both Joey and Albert on their separate journeys, as they navigate the terrors of the Somme and all the inhumanity that war brings, willing them at every step to find each other again.

Manuel Klein , as German cavalry captain Friedrich, is persuasive as a genuinely good man, thrown into the hell of war without choice. Ike Bennet is likable as Albert's friend and fellow soldier David Taylor and Jo Castleton brings calm and growing sadness as Albert's mother Rose. The whole ensemble convince in every scene; from squabbling villagers to trembling soldiers.

The night was dedicated to composer Adrian Sutton , who sadly died last year. His cinematic composition sounds as perfect as ever for this production. Sally Swanson as the singer brings beautifully haunting vocals to many scenes, particularly when she sings without accompanying music.

The National Theatre officially recommends a minimum age of 10+, but having seen the production several times, I am still inclined to think this is a tough watch for children. Indeed, it is for everyone. The spectacle of horses being shot, getting caught in barbed wire and crows pecking at the dead bodies of soldiers is visceral and often harrowing.

The fact that most of the audience are wiping away tears at the end shows the extent of emotion this production illicits. But the distress is intrinsic to the impact: this is no melodramatic pull-on-the-heartstrings. The Great War really happened and many hundreds of thousands of Joeys and Alberts lay where poppies now grow. This is theatre and theatrical invention at its finest.

War Horse is at The National Theatre until 30 July

Photo Credits: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

New production photos have been released for the National Theatre's revival of WAR HORSE. Based on Michael Morpurgo's novel and adapted by Nick Stafford, the award-winning play has returned to the National Theatre nearly two decades after its premiere.

Rehearsal photos have been released for the National Theatre’s global smash-hit production, War Horse, which returns to its original home nearly two decades after its debut and following a recent tour of the UK and Ireland. Check out the photos here!

The full cast has been unveiled for the National Theatre’s production, War Horse, which returns to its original home nearly two decades after its debut and following a recent acclaimed tour of the UK and Ireland.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-WAR-HORSE-National-Theatre-20260603)._