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WAR HORSE

★★★★★

UK Tour

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WAR HORSE at The Lowry

★★★★★

“Every part is played with truth and passion, the cast make us feel, even cry at times”

The National Theatre’s new production based on the well known, much loved book by author Michael Morpurgo, is compelling viewing. A powerful indictment of conflict and the utter chaos of war, War Horse interrogates the things which test us and allow us to grow in understanding, albeit through unimaginable suffering. It is at once, both devastating and a powerful, life changing, piece of theatre.

Albert Narracott, a sixteen year old farmer’s boy living in rural Devon, is given the task of training up young Joey, a beautiful, feisty horse who had been bought in a bad-tempered bidding war by Albert’s quarrelsome, drunk father. Albert’s task is to turn Joey into a working horse. Their growing bond and successes in the face of adversity, are joyous.

When war comes, the peace of farm life is broken, men enlist and good, strong horses are bought by the army to work in the fields of war. Albert’s beloved Joey is sold by his father, betraying his promise to Albert. Albert cannot bear the loss of his best friend Joey and undertakes a journey into war, with the aim of safely bringing him back home. The parallel, integral story of the horses Joey and Topthorn, a thoroughbred mount, as they are compelled to serve first British, then German forces, mirrors the violent conflict faced by troops, alongside the power of friendship amongst men and animals. When we see war through the horses’ eyes, we see more clearly.

Albert (Tom Sturgess) holds the stage, as he wrestles challenges with bravery, gentleness and single minded determination. From bullied son and gentle companion of Joey, to vulnerable yet emboldened soldier, he captivates throughout. He is our son, our future too.

Joey and Topthorn are awesomely commanding full size puppet horses from The Handspring Puppet Company and are undoubtedly a core part of the success of the production. Puppetry Director Matthew Forbes and the puppeteers who perform in rotation, succeed in portraying the non verbal communication of the horses. The skilled and enthralling puppetry shows them as both warriors and victims, alongside the men at war and the women left behind. The poignance of both horses setting their rivalry aside and settling down to chew the grass side by side, is matched with jaw dropping moments of pure theatre, with both horses involved in the full thrust and horror of war.

Every part is played with truth and passion, the cast make us feel, even cry at times. The nuanced gentleness and ‘stiff upper lip’ of Lieutenant Nicholls (Chris Williams), the comedic banter and potted French of Sergeant Thunder (Gareth Radcliffe), and the gallows humour and bitter-sweet comradeship of David Taylor (Ike Bennett) are examples of the talent on display.

Safe in the directorial hands of Tom Morris and Katie Henry, the work retains its magical spectacle of puppetry, filmic, visceral storytelling, animation and music. The songs, written by John Tams and performed with gritty soulfulness by Sally Swanson and the cast, offer the best of the English folk tradition: memorable, simple and stirring. They complement the power of Adrian Sutton’s orchestral soundtrack, without which the full power and experience of War Horse could not be realised.

The simple, suspended sets (a frayed paper drawing page, where the light edges in) allow our imagination to combine with the creative drawings (Rae Smith) and animations, to immerse us evermore. The highly effective use of lighting zones (Rob Casey), where animals and cast move into and out of view, adds spine tingling perfection when the cast appear from the dark, or a horse rears into view.

Although some of the scenes are disturbing, they are totally necessary in bringing Morpurgo’s work to life and portraying the full horror of war. Touching and moving, War Horse is a must-see experience.

 


WAR HORSE at The Lowry then UK tour continues

Reviewed on 22nd September 2024

by Lucy Williams

Photography by Brinkhoff Moegenburg

 

 

 

 

 

 

More five star shows from this month:

GUYS & DOLLS | ★★★★★ | BRIDGE THEATRE | September 2024
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG | ★★★★★ | DUCHESS THEATRE | September 2024
THE BELT | ★★★★★ | THE CORONET THEATRE | September 2024
JAZZ CONVERSATIONS | ★★★★★ | THE PLACE | September 2024

WAR HORSE

WAR HORSE

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The cast of Hamnet stand on a wooden stage. Behind them, two wooden ladders fashioned into an ‘A’, draped with flowers. Photo by Manuel Harlan © RSC

Hamnet

★★★

Garrick Theatre

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HAMNET at the Garrick Theatre

★★★

The cast of Hamnet stand on a wooden stage. Behind them, two wooden ladders fashioned into an ‘A’, draped with flowers. Photo by Manuel Harlan © RSC

“The story is gripping, and the performances are strong”

It is a hard task to adapt an incredibly popular and deeply literary novel for the stage, especially one which spans decades, cities and narrative voices. This adaptation doesn’t quite carry the romantic and ethereal genius of its source text, but it is brave enough to carve its own path through the story. It rushes along as a love letter to the emotional power of theatre.

Agnes is the peculiar orphaned daughter of a sheep farmer, who falls for the quick tongued Latin tutor, known better as William Shakespeare. The first half follows their romance and their struggles with their respective families, particularly William’s cruel and violent father. The second half jumps a decade, and surrounds the personal heartbreak which inspires, so this play supposes, one of the greatest tragedies ever written.

Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation is direct, emotionally honest and blunt. Sometimes this is an asset, allowing the emotional truths to be laid bare, but sometimes it lacks subtlety. The high-octane emotions, especially at the beginning, do feel a bit distancing at times, and it would have been interesting to explore a more layered complexity, especially in the couple’s relationships with their parental figures. The time jump in the middle, which brings the twins to the forefront and allows the piece a greater emotional depth, also stunts the development of the romantic centre. In some ways this does work, as by shifting the focus from the romance, the script is able to build its own identity, separately from the novel. Some of the strongest moments come with William’s players, and their plans for a new playhouse. Converting the stage into The Globe for the final scene is magical, and the joy and power of theatre is beautifully explored here.

Erica Whyman’s direction gives Hamnet significant momentum, hurtling along with a terrible, inevitable dread. There are some really beautiful moments to be found, but often they come in the pauses, when the play lets itself breathe. Some of this energy comes from the choice to cover each scene transition with a jaunty tune (Oğuz Kaplangi). This is also interspersed with sinister breathing and whispering, by sound designer Simon Baker. However, because many of the scenes are short and sharp it does stilt some of them, and prevents us from sitting with what we have seen.

It is a large cast, which serves to flesh out the rich world of the play. Madeleine Mantock’s Agnes is fiery and bold, contrasting and complementing Tom Varey’s William who is more pent up. For me the standouts, were Ajani Cabey and Alex Jarrett as the tragically fated twins. Cabey’s performance was beautiful, showing both incredible grace and joyous mischief. Jarrett was also excellent, bringing a tragic complexity to a grieving child, and one of her speeches was, for me, the emotional punch of the whole performance. Special mentions must also go to Gabriel Akuwudike’s Bartholomew whose excellent comic timing was a joy and Sarah Belcher who as Joan had a real grasp of her emotional levels, and brought a huge amount to what might’ve been a one note character.

Tom Piper’s set is ingenious, quirky and fun. Two levels framed by wooden ladders allow the cast to scamper up and down and all around, making use of every inch of the space. Using wood gives it an earthy feel, connected to Agnes’ natural healing. Prema Mehta’s lighting design brings harmony to this playful and warm set.

As an avid fan of the novel, I wanted to love this play. While I respect its ability to make the story its own, for me the emotional build felt rushed, and didn’t pay off. The story is gripping, and the performances are strong. But there is a bit of magic missing, which is what made the novel unique, and without which, the play is left feeling a little hollow.


HAMNET at the Garrick Theatre

Reviewed on 18th October 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Manuel Harlan

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

The Crown Jewels | ★★★ | August 2023
Orlando | ★★★★ | December 2022
Myra Dubois: Dead Funny | ★★★★ | September 2021

Hamnet

Hamnet

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