War Horse: A Year Later
Last year, I was lucky enough to watch War Horse at the National Theatre, its return to the original National Theatre venue a celebration of the centenary of Armistice Day.I loved it so much the first time that I grabbed a different friend the next evening and ended up queueing for return tickets to watch it again.
Just about a year later, the play returned to London once again, this time playing at the Wembley Troubadour Theatre before embarking on a year-long international tour, heading to France, Australia and Singapore. Obviously, I had to go watch War Horse once again. Having convinced a rather hesitant pair of friends to tag along, we made our way to Wembley and left feeling that not only was the commute fully worth it, but that we’d be more than happy to travel further to witness the marvel of War Horse. In fact, as I’m writing this, one of my friends is already making plans to return before the show closes.
The story, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling book with the same name, is simple enough. However, it is the staging which elevates the narrative to completely new heights. According to the internet, when Morpurgo was approached with the idea of turning the book into a play, he initially thought it was an insane idea. However, the resulting product is a stroke of genius. The horses, which are brought to life by a group of incredibly talented puppeteers, are so well-executed that the first time I saw the play, I started sobbing the moment the horses showed up.
War Horse has everything that makes a play great. It is innovative, thought provoking, relevant and just all around excellent. Audiences of all ages can find something to take away from it about humanity and the importance of love and compassion towards humans and animals alike. One just has to be heartless for the play to not strike a chord.
My feelings towards War Horse have not changed within the last year, despite the change in location and the cast. When people hear how frequently I go to the theatre, their first question is almost always ‘What’s your favourite play of all time?’. Not only is the answer clear, but even more so than before now that I’ve had the chance to relive the marvel that is War Horse.
