War Horse, adapted by Nick Stafford, in association with the Handspring Puppet Company (The Lowry, 23 July – 20 September 2014)
After a previous successful appearance at The Lowry, The National Theatre’s adaptation of War Horse began a nine week run at the venue on Wednesday July 23rd. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s 2007 novel of the same name, the play focuses on the life of Joey, a humble mongrel of a horse that becomes a much loved pet and companion first, and an integral part of the war effort later.
When estranged brothers Ted (Steven Hillman) and Arthur Narracott (David Fleeshman) compete over the horse at an auction, it seems at first as if one of them has ended up defeated and embarrassed while the other, and probably the less fortunate, has ended up only with a expensive new pet that will be of no use on the farm. When Ted first brings Joey home, all his wife Rose (Karen Henthorn) sees is another mouth to feed and a hit to the mortgage fund.
Their teenage son Albert (Lee Armstrong), though, sees a friend. A companion to fill his lonely days. In the opening act we see a touching relationship develop between these two equally nervous and withdrawn individuals, and as Albert coaches spirit and determination into his horse, we see those traits begin to develop in him too. Though sentimental at times, these early scenes end up on the right side of moving, and the rapport built up between Albert and Joey is established as the central drive of the play.
As Joey develops, rival farmers see just what an asset he could be to them. Albert faces many battles to keep hold of the horse he now thinks of as his best friend. But after teaching him to plough, his dad gives his word that the horse will not be sold. Then comes the war. When Ted hears an army recruiter offering one hundred pounds for any horse fit for an army captain, he breaks his promise to his son and sneaks off to sell Joey in the middle of the night.
Joey becomes a war horse. But an unintended consequence of Joey’s trip abroad follows not far behind when the underage Albert leaves to find him. This paves the way for a spectacular second half in which dramatic music, breathtaking puppetry, and a plethora of solid if not amazing acting performances, tell the story of the forgotten heroes of war, the horses which led their riders into battle.
What makes War Horse really stand out in the second half, though, is the brave way in which it delves into the consequences of war not only for the horses, but also the soldiers of both Britain and Germany. We see Albert lose friends, and we see war force him to grow. But it’s the figure of Hauptmann Friedrich Muller (Martin Wenner) that brings the play’s first real surprise.
When the German soldiers first appear in War Horse, they are represented in the way you might expect in a play based on a novel written by a man who lived in London just after the Second World War. They appear as the bad guys. The ruthless killers who will happily take land from the locals to suit their needs. But when Muller meets Joey and another horse by the name of Topthorn, we see a softer side of him. Through this character the point is made that all soldiers fighting in the war, from whatever side, were equally human, equally capable of love and compassion, and that everyone who fought in the war was missing somebody at home. This is an important juncture in the play, and an idea that lifts it from a standard piece of epic theatre to something with a little more to say. And in his role as Muller, Wenner is one of the most convincing actors on stage.
The performances are convincing throughout, too, if not a little over the top. As Albert, Lee Armstrong is superb at times if a tiny bit hammy at others, but he certainly grows into the role as the character he plays becomes less juvenile. Karen Henthorn and Steven Hillman do good jobs as Albert’s parents, but again, they at times seem a little overblown.
It must be difficult for the actors, though, when they know they are going to be upstaged by their wonderful co-stars; the puppets. From the foal version of Joey, to his grown-up self and his rival and friend Topthorn, the puppets completely steal the show. Not only do they look amazing, but their creators and controllers manage to imbibe each one with emotion, from the powerful and energetic gallops to the tiny flicks of the face, you see what the horses are thinking at every moment. These are some impressive bits of machinery. It says something that the loudest applause at the play’s end was reserved for the puppet of a goose. Major kudos must go to the Handspring Puppet Company for their role in elevating this piece of theatre to something above the norm.
Another hugely successful part of this near three-hour play is the music. While not a musical, the interjection of singing in key scenes is an integral part of the performance, and Bob Fox’s voice, with its melting Irish tones, is the perfect calming accompaniment to a show filled with high drama and intense action.
Despite the sentimentality and occasional overacting then, by the end War Horse does deliver. For what is essentially the story of a boy who loves a horse, this is a play filled with big ideas and powerful emotion. And if none of that appeals to you, it’s worth seeing for the magical puppetry alone.
Fran Slater