War Horse - Olivier National Theatre - Review

When the world first saw War Horse Joey stride across the stage nearly 20 years ago, it felt like we had never seen anything like him before. Puppeteered by three skilled artists, Joey was brought to life with care and emotion as we see witnessed an animal character take centre stage as a lead role in his own story. And he took the world by storm. And even now, it is still as breathtaking, Joey is still awe inspiring and the story of the bond between boy and beast is just as beautiful.

Adapted from the famous book of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse introduces us to the Narracott family, led by father Ted (Stephen Beckett). Known to the local villagers as a drunkard and a coward, having stayed on the farm rather than fighting in the Boar war alongside his brother, Ted is fiercely competitive and is drawn into a bidding battle with his brother over a foal at the market. Arthur Narracott (Nicholas Khan) wants the young hunter horse as a mount for his son Billy (Corey Montague-Sholay), but when Ted pays well over the expected, the responsibility of raising the young horse falls to Ted's son Albert (Tom Sturgess). Albert bonds fiercely, naming him Joey and loving him fiercely, even teaching the hunter to plough when his father makes another bet with his brother. But when War begins, Ted goes behind his son's back and tells the strong steed to the army as an sergeant's mount, leaving Albert to go into the depths of battle in order to find his beloved friend.

It is not very often that you see an animal take the lead in a theatre production, especially one who doesn't utter a single word. In his own powerful silence, we see the story unfold almost through the eyes of Joey himself. From the care-free foal playing in the Devonshire countryside to the wise battle worn beast, we get the idea that he is as desperate to find Albert as the young man is to find him. Getting home is Joey's drive. Rhianna Ash, Rafe Young and Michael Larcombe puppeteer Joey, literally breathing life into him and creating every pouring emotion. A flick of the tail, a turn of the ear, a snort, a hoof stamp, we still it all and it takes merely seconds for these skilled puppeteers to merge into the creature itself, and the audience simply see a horse striding across the stage, and its magical.

Joey is joined throughout by a second horse, Topthorn, controlled just as skilfully by Alexandra Donnachie, Chris Milford and Felicity Donnelly. Another majestic beast and beautiful puppet. For one scene, there are no human characters on stage, just Joey and Topthorn and to put it simply, it is like watching a nature documentary live on stage, two horses deciding who is boss.

In a star turn, Tom Sturgess shines as Albert Narracott, the shy young man brought to life by Joey. He gives his heart and soul to raising him, to building their bond and to following him into battle. There is a fiery passion in Sturgess' portrayal, a love and a determination to do whatever it takes to give Joey the very best and to keep him safe. Sturgess has the audience hanging on his every word, never losing that childlike spark of silliness and joy underneath the troubles of his life. In opposite, Stephen Beckett's Ted Narracott is bold and loud, shouts over gentle words and anger over kindness and the two bounce off each other like repelling magnets, unable to find common ground in a powerful illustration of the turbulent father and son relationship.

Chris Williams plays Major James Nicholl's, artist and soldier who rides into war with Joey. A kind heart, with Williams' performance staying with you. Manuel Klein also impresses greatly as German Cavalry Captain Friedrich Muller, torn between doing what he is told and what he believes in.

Alongside the stunning puppetry and the exceptional performances, there is a further element that sky rockets War Horse in to the realms of theatrical fame and that is the music. Traditional folk songs are performed throughout, and with previous productions, these numbers have been led by a cast member known simply as the Song Man. Here, Sally Swanson appears as The Singer, with her beautiful vocals leading the songs throughout. Her performance and the music overall adds such an incredible atmosphere, with it feeling as it the beautiful sound surrounds you, wrapping the entire auditorium in a hug almost and drawing us even further into the world of Joey and Albert.

The staging is intricate and immaculate throughout, with every detail thought out and executed to perfection. Simply wooden beams become fences, and blankets become the lines left in the dirt by both ploughs and tanks with the ensemble cast becoming a well oiled machine to create the world without distracting from the main action and features.

Overall, War Horse is a stunning production that simply needs to be witnessed live. It is captivating, enchanting and masterfully crafted. It balances heartfelt love, the pains of war, friendship and devotion effortlessly, whilst managing to weave a wonderful sense of humour throughout the tale. We see these soldiers as the young man forced into horrible situations, childhood jokes still lingering beneath uniforms perhaps a little too big for them. We see horses discovering the world around them, be it peaceful or battle filled. We see families trying their best to survive and friends trying their best to find each other. And it is just beautiful.

There is a reason why War Horse is world famous, and it is clear to see from the second you first see Joey appear on stage. A must see.