The hit show based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel returns to its original home nearly 20 year since it first appeared. But does it still have the magic?
Broadway World: ***** “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.”
WhatsOnStage: ***** “The bare Olivier stage gives the company nowhere to hide, and that exposure is the gamble Smith’s design takes and wins: with no walls to lean on, the acting has to be true, and it is. Rob Casey’s lighting conjures the worlds the scenery refuses to build.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ***** “It justifies its large cast too, the chorus of whom create a sense of busy marketplaces and squalid trenches. “We’re only remembered for what we’ve done,” they sing as the show draws to a close. If this production ever gallops off the stage for good, it will leave behind an almighty legacy.”
The Standard: **** “It reminds us what this building, and particularly the Olivier stage, can do. The show is a tribute to human ingenuity and our perverse ability to empathise more easily with animals than our fellow humans.”
The Reviews Hub: **** “There are some humans onstage as well, and while their stories are lightly told, Morpurgo’s humanity for English, French and German soldiers and civilians caught up in a conflict that none of them started feels embraced in Stafford’s faithful script, while the central story following Tom Sturgess’ Albert is convincing.”
Red Bus Londinium Life: **** 1/2 “As someone who has taught Morpurgo’s books in a primary classroom, and who has heard him speak with quiet passion about the duty we owe children when we write about war, I believe War Horse is a story that children deserve to know. But it is also a story that speaks to adults. It is about love and loss and the way animals can save us, about what the countryside and simple work and the bond between a boy and a horse can mean in a world that is otherwise very frightening indeed. It is also, simply, a stunning piece of theatre.”
British Theatre Guide: “Through its breathtaking puppetry, magnificent performances and beautifully human storytelling, War Horse becomes not only a tale of war, but a powerful tribute to love, hope and the enduring connections that help us survive and keep going.”
The Stage: ***** “Groundbreaking production returns, as devastatingly powerful as ever.”
Theatre Vibe: “This powerful production has a good ensemble cast of people but outstanding are Handspring Puppet Company who should re-name their company Handspring Living Creatures. The word puppet is almost derisory to describe these creatures with swishing tails and equine movement. It is a long watch for children and certainly too distressing for younger children with the death of Topthorn.”
Time Out: ***** “Obviously the NT should forever be searching for whatever the new War Horse might be. But it would be a crime to put Joey and co out to pasture when they still have so much to give.”
City Am: **** “Based on the classic 1982 children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse has a simple message delivered with the grace of a classic Disney movie. It’s about the importance of human connection and the evils of war, themes that are as relevant as ever in a world once again dominated by so-called “strong-men”. But most of all it’s a vehicle for that magnificent horse, which has lost none of its power or charm after all these years.”
War Horse continues to play at the National Theatre until the 30th July. To book tickets visit: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/war-horse/