Tom Sturgess in War Horse [Brinkhoff-Moegenburg]

WAR Horse premiered at the National in October 2007, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s novel by Nick Stafford and co-directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris.

It was an instant success, inspiring Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed film, and has reached an audience of over 8.8 million worldwide.

This revival (co-directed by Katie Henry and Morris) is first-rate, stunningly staged and utterly immersive.

Ted Narracott (Stephen Beckett), a drunken Devonshire farmer, buys a foal at an auction for an inflated price to outwit his brother Arthur (Nicholas Khan). Ted’s son Albert (Tom Sturgess) names him Joey, breaks him in, and the two forge a tight bond.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Ted sells Joey to a captain in the cavalry.

Albert is inconsolable and eventually follows his beloved horse to the front line by enlisting as an underage soldier.

Joey is paired with another horse, Topthorn, and we follow the tumult of the war, much of it conveyed through their perspectives. The British cavalry is mown down by superior firearms, and the pair endure shelling, barbed wire and bullets before being forced to pull heavy artillery through the mud.

The life-sized horses from Handspring Puppet Company are memorable creations, with 12 puppeteers working in rotation. Toby Sedgwick’s choreography and Matthew Forbes’s puppetry direction ensure they move with clockwork precision, from the swish of a tail to the flick of an ear.

War Horse is impeccably acted and beautifully realised by an exceptional artistic team: Rae Smith’s set, costumes and drawings; Rob Casey’s lighting; and 59 Studio’s animations are projected through a rip in the back wall. John Tams’s songs add atmosphere, while the late Adrian Sutton’s score heightens both tension and emotion.

Spellbinding.

Until July 30
nationaltheatre.org.uk/