War Horse

I am a great admirer of Michael Morpurgo's work and he was a worthy Children's Laureate from 2003 to 2005. It was during this time that the Best Beloved and I attended a talk he gave to an English Teacher's conference in Hampshire. Afterwards we enjoyed a conversation with him about retiring as it was a pertinent subject for him and us at the time. I love "Kensuke's Kingdom", "War Horse" and "Private Peaceful". These are his three war stories with the last two based in the First World War. In fact Michael was reading "Private Peaceful" on Monday night in the Olivier at the same time as we chose to see John Lithgow in the Lyttleton. We got to see both stages from backstage as part of our National Theatre tour on the late Monday afternoon. The set for "Habit of Art", the new Alan Bennett play, is a recreation of Rehearsal Room 1 at the National Theatre. It wasn't a surprise therefore to see him in the auditorium for the Tuesday performance at the New London theatre. From our backstage tour we learned that the transfer of "War Horse" from the Olivier to the New London was based on some similarities between the two theatres. One of these is the revolve and the spread of seats in the auditorium. We learned that the span of seats in the Olivier is 118 degrees because that is what can be encompassed within the actor's range of sight without moving the head.

We had missed "War Horse" at the National before it transferred to the New London and this was our chance to catch it before the planned Lee Hall film goes into production (oh to be a film extra on that film!). We met the puppet of the war horse's mother backstage in the National Theatre scenic dock. I don't think I am giving anything away in saying that the horses in the show are magnificent creations by the Handspring puppet Theatre working is association with the National. Well, the model for the mother of Joey is to be found still at the National as she was cut from the final production. She was manned by three puppeteers as is Joey and it was fascinating to appreciate the skill and care with which she was constructed. It may have stolen a bit of the thunder seeing her backstage rather than getting a first glimpse of the horse onstage. However Joey's mother was cut because she lengthened the storyline unnecessarily it was decided. There had been a discussion as to what she was called and a bit of theatre spookiness overtook us here. At first they were going to call her Zoey but thought that was too much like Joey, so they changed her name to Alice! To those who know this blogger will realise those are the names we chose for the treasures of our lives, our two daughters!

"War Horse" was a magnificent piece of theatrical storytelling at its very best. The undoubted star is Joey and the three puppeteers who operate head, heart and hind. We feel his joy of life, his love towards humans and his anguish during the warfare. The humans are also given characters with whom we can identify - although almost but not quite upstaged in the comic stakes by a puppet goose. Robert Emms as Albert Narracot gives an outstanding performance as the youngster who grows into a man in the cauldron of the trenches. I loved the songs and the music by John Tams, once described by the Times as the best songwriter you may never have heard of. John joined the National Theatre in 1977 and was responsible for the music of "The Mysteries" and much beside. The recreation of the Dorset country life before the Great War was as beautiful and as idyllic as the recreation of the horror of war itself. Apparently the Queen herself slipped unannounced and without ceremony into a performance of this play (instigated and led by Prince Charles). I admired her for so doing and hoped she also felt the pangs as men were encouraged to leave the rural life to go and fight for king and country. The show is English through and through full of humour, grumbling, sibling rivalry, regimental pride, stupidity of war especially cavalry versus machine guns and tanks and the bravery of ordinary men to survive in the most appalling conditions and against the most dreadful odds. It is a compliment therefore that one of the best characters created and performed by Patrick O'Kane is Hauptmann Muller, a German cavalry officer. The character and the performance defeats all our inbuilt prejudices and he is seen as almost an every man. The adaptation of Morpurgo's book by Nick Stafford is stunning for reinforcing our belief in the basic humanity and goodness of man. We cared about Joey and we cared about the humans too. This was an uplifting and moving production and a piece of theatre I was delighted we made an effort to see. Its images and evoked emotions will live with me for a long time.