This story of a boy and his horse, separated by war, is a visually spectacular piece of storytelling – dominated by intricate and impressive puppeteering.
The three-person mannequins that portray the horses at the heart of the tale are stunning to watch, skilfully bringing to life the animals, complete with breathing, twitches, and tail swashes.
On opening night the three teams animating central horse Joey both as a foal (Jordan Paris, Eloise Beaumont Wood, Clara Lioe) and as an adult (Tom Quinn, Lewis McBean, Michael Larcombe), along with his sometime rival Topthorn (Matthew Lawrence, Rafe Young, Felicity Donnelly) amply demonstrate why the show has been so successful.
Rae Smith’s design, with the set dominated by a ripped strip of paper across the sky, filled with ever changing illustrations, is also central to its power. Supplemented by some simple props to create paddocks, farmhouses, and ships, it allows for a fluid and flexible approach that places imagination at its centre.
Tom Sturgess leads the large human cast as Albert Narracott, beginning as a naïve boy who cares for Joey after his drunken father (Gareth Radcliffe as Arthur) foolishly buys him at auction, and ending as a man injured by war.
The story itself, based on Michael Morpurgo’s book and adapted by Nick Stafford, is just as superlatively sentimental. There is not much nuance in plotting, and beyond Albert most characters are little more than caricatures; Richard Curtis’ film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, made some different dramatic choices.
The sheer power of the presentation means this can be mostly overlooked, and particularly by the animal lovers in the audience. For an old cynic like me, while the puppetry is powerful and worth seeing in its own right it remains a shame the plot isn’t as supercharged.
- War Horse continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday 8 November 2025, tickets £25-£66. The run is sold out, check for returns.
