Alana’s Score: 4 Neighs
Joey first cantered onto the stage in London’s West End in 2007. Today, trotting around the stage in Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, almost 14 years later, the charm of his story and spectacle of his journey is as amazing as ever.
War Horse, based on a book by Michael Morpurgo, follows the story of Joey, the beloved horse of a young boy Albert. Joey is devastatingly sold to the cavalry without Albert’s knowledge, and is shipped off to the frontlines in France. As Joey struggles through an incredible journey of hardship and struggle, Albert pines for his lost horse and enlists to find him, at any cost.
It really is an extraordinary and moving story of friendship, loyalty and love. And the show needs to be seen to be believed.
It’s amazing how quickly our brains forget that we’re watching puppets and not real horses. The puppeteers are master manipulators, imbuing the incredible structures with lifelike detail and personality, right down to the swish of the tail or the flick of the ears. For all intents and purposes, Joey is a real horse up there on that stage, pulling on our heartstrings just as a living, breathing creature would.
That’s the magic of this production, and unfortunately the human elements lack a little sparkle in comparison. The performances are solid, despite some confusing accent work, but seem to be swallowed in a big space, lost in a production that shines technically.
If you’ve never seen the spectacle that is War Horse, or even if you have, don’t miss this show. Bring the tissues – it’s a tearjerker.
Playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until March 15.
Alana Kaye – Theatre Now
15 Feb – 15 Mar 2020
Venue: Sydney Lyric Theatre
Theatre Company: National Theatre Of Great Britian
Duration: Aprox. 2 Hours and 40 minutes
From $79.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Wed – Sat 7:30pm
Sun 6pm
Matinees:
Wed 1pm
Sat 2pm
Sun 3pm
By based on the book of the same name by children’s writer Michael Morpurgo, adapted for stage by Nick Stafford.
Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, the National Theatre of Great Britain’s Tony Award®-winning production of War Horse is coming to the Sydney Lyric in February 2020.
Hailed by Time Magazine as ‘a landmark theatre event’, this powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness. At its heart are astonishing life-sized puppets created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage. An unforgettable theatrical experience, ‘not to be missed’ (Chicago Tribune).
At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped from England to France. He is soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on anextraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.
