War Horse at Theatre Royal & Concert Hall Nottingham Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Sheridan Brown
I am always thrilled to be able to visit the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham – and this time it is to be part of the audience on the opening night of Warhorse – an astonishing and moving play based on Michael Morpurgo’s brilliant novel. Directed by Tom Morris and Katie Henry (revival director), the play tells the story of Joey, the beloved horse belonging to Devon teenager, Albert Narracott (played brilliantly by Tom Sturgess). Sold to the British army, Joey is transported to France to serve in the Great War. On the front-line Joey experiences the horrors of warfare, first hand (or hoof?). But Albert has not forgotten him …
Warhorse is unique in the way that the play’s animals are brought to life by the life-sized creations of South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company. They must be seen to be believed.
We travelled by tram into Nottingham city centre; a very easy 25-minute journey from Clifton South park and ride. We got off the tram at Royal Centre and strolled around the corner to the Royal Concert Hall – just 5 minutes away. Arriving at the theatre we were warmly greeted (as always) by very helpful staff. The theatre is well laid out and it was easy to find our door and seat. Accessibility at the theatre is excellent with a lift to all floors.
That aside, as we took our seats in the busy auditorium we could feel the buzz of anticipation from the gathered audience – I’m sure it must have been a full house. On stage, we were presented by a bare, dark space. Stretched across a screen at the rear of the stage was an image that looked like it might be a shard of paper, ripped from a book – but we weren’t sure at this point. The image was intriguing, and we chatted about what the ‘shard’ might symbolise. As the play developed, the shard was used very skilfully, as a screen onto which pencil drawn landscapes or animations were projected. Designed by Nicol Scott and Ben Pearcy (for 59), these projections beautifully and cleverly contextualised the different scenes in the play and, when animated, added enormously to the drama and power of the action. The shard was not, however, a standalone device, it was woven into the entire narrative of the play and created a poignant connection between characters and audience.
The cast was large and very talented. Most actors played at least two parts and their characterisations painted juxtaposing scenes of rural Devon and the horrors of the front line. The actors were able to balance the light and shade of the play very effectively. The lighter moments of the play acting as a foil to the intensity and raw emotional drama of other scenes. One of the standout characters, for me, was that of ‘The Singer’ played by Sally Swanson. Singing solo or in harmony with the rest of the cast, her fabulous vocal performance, supported at times by accordion, provided a musical narrative thread, which bound the characters of the play together.
The music, as a whole, added to the power and impact of the performance. Music (by Adrian Sutton) cleverly captured the rural idyll of pre-war Devon, along with the horror and drama of the trenches. In addition, the vocally talented cast sung several songs during the play. Created by John Tams, and in the style of English folk songs, they beautifully evoked or juxtaposed emotions to add depth to the performance.
But the undisputed stars of the show were the puppets and puppeteers from Handspring Puppet Company, who created the most incredibly life-like horses – the lifeblood of the play. At first, I was aware of the humans operating young Joey, the foal (Diany Samba-Bandza, Jordan Paris and Eloise Beaumont-Wood) but very soon puppeteer and puppets melded into one as I became invested in the story. I particularly liked the way that the puppeteers wore context-appropriate costume (rather than blackout suits). Somehow, this added an extra dimension to their contribution to the play – they were both ‘there’ and ‘not there’ at the same time.
Time and time again, I found myself astonished by the way that the body language depicted the emotional state of the horses. The incredibly talented puppeteers for Joey (Tea Poldervaart, Robin Hayward/Ross Green and Gun Suen) and Topthorn (Tom Quinn, Lewis McBean and Michael Larcombe) must have studied equine behaviour closely. Choreographed by Toby Sedgwick, the movement and manipulation the horses’ body parts was utterly convincing. I completely believed I was watching horses on the stage and was completely invested in what they were doing. I think special mention should be made of the ‘ear-ography’ of both horses. The beautifully shaped ears clearly showed us the horses’ emotional state – and added to the authenticity of the action.
The combination of talented human actors, musicians and fabulous puppets and puppeteers – coupled with powerful and emotionally evocative music, stunning lighting (Rob Casey) and cleverly designed and manipulated props all came together to create a stunning and emotionally charged production. There were many moments that made me catch my breath, laugh, gasp and shed a tear – but I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for you. Enjoy!
Rating: 5/5
Dates: 17th May – 18th May
Tickets: £23.00 – £65.50
Remaining shows are bookable here: https://trch.co.uk/