REVIEW - War Horse is an impeccable play, fully consuming, impactful and powerful

On Sunday, we had a fantastic experience watching War Horse at at The Lowry, Salford. See what our reviewer, Lizzie Johnston thought about the flawless production...

When the opportunity came up to review War Horse at The Lowry, I immediately jumped at it. Having seen the show over 10 years ago and being blown away as a school kid, I knew I’d love to experience it all over again - and what an experience it was. 

War Horse, based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted by Nick Stafford, shares an extraordinary journey of a young boy and his horse across the rural fields of Devon to the First World War trenches in France. The story is powerful and moving, sharing a different insight into the war that’s suitable for a range of ages, including kids over 10. 

The production, by The National Theatre, sees the outbreak of World War One and young Albert’s beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the Cavalry - but Albert is determined to see him again. Though he’s too young to join the army, Albert embarks on a treacherous mission to bring Joey home.

At its heart, the play is about the connection between a boy and his horse, but with the background of the war, this story takes you on an emotional journey full of imaginative drama and heightened with songs from the era. 

The most impressive and memorable part of the show has to be the puppetry by Handspring Puppet Company. I cannot hype the puppeteers up enough, it’s just something you have to see. The structure of the horses takes over the stage, showing how powerful and beautiful these creatures are. 

It’s extremely clever how despite their size, the puppeteers really show the emotion of the horses, whether it’s through a simple twitch of the ear, bow of the head or stance - they even look like they are breathing. You could really see the personalities of the animals, which added a whole new depth to the play and made the audience connect to the horses as well as the people. So much so, you completely forget that the puppeteers are among them, your eyes just adapt to see the horse. 

Albert Narracott, played by Tom Sturgess (Twelfth Night, Consent, The Snow Queen), really delivered on the childish determination and stubbornness of a sixteen year old throughout the story - even when on the battlefield. His tunnel vision view of life meant he only cared to find Joey, and the love he demonstrates for the horse is underpinning the whole play. It’s an unbreakable bond that I’m sure anyone with a pet can appreciate. 

Youth and inexperience played on the side of Albert, which Sturgess portrayed beautifully. The whole cast was fantastic and the acting paired with the production visuals made it an impactful and overpowering vision of the war. One particular standout was Haydn Burke (Hamnet, The Gunpowder Plot) as Billy Narracott - Albert’s cousin. Although only a few years older, Billy’s age meant he reported for the war so his experience was polar opposite to Albert’s. Burke’s performance on the battlefield was excellent and extremely significant. He showed fear, terror and was visibly shaking from the impact of PTSD, not shying back from showing the true impact of war. 

Whether it was a family member left at home in the village, a Captain leading the troops, or a young Private determined to stay alive, the whole cast offered a different perspective and reality of war life which meant the play had depth and a range of emotions. It really was a rollercoaster for the audience.

The production itself was incredible - lights, sound and props. The stage was bare with a ripped piece of paper displaying drawings and dates to help the audience visualise the set. Props were used to bring these sets to life, whether it was a town square or No Man’s Land. 

I particularly loved how you couldn’t see the depth of the stage and that it was just pitch black. This meant the cast could creep up into the shadows and appear in the centre with maximum impact - it was eerie and extremely effective. Along with bright flashes and loud bangs, the battlefields couldn’t have been further to the homely village setting where Albert and Joey first bonded. 

There’s moments of joy and laughter in the show too, it’s not all dark and impactful. These lighter moments just seem to make those harsh realities hit harder, and it pays off.

When I was leaving the theatre, I could overhear a family talking about the war and teaching the young kids about the Christmas Day truce. I think this sums up the impact of the show perfectly, that it conveys an important story in a way that is engaging and entertaining - so much so, kids want to learn more. 

I remember raving about War Horse after first watching it over a decade ago and, after seeing it again, I’ll rave about it some more.

War Horse is an impeccable play, in fact one of the best. Even if war stories are not your type of theatre, this is an experience like no other - it’s fully consuming, impactful and powerful. If you get the chance to go, you’ll be glad to have seen it.

WE SCORE WAR HORSE...

War Horse is on at the The Lowry, Salford until Sat 28th September 2024.


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