War Horse returns to Canterbury
The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse returns to Canterbury, beginning a major tour of the UK on 15 September 2017 at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, where it will run until 14 October 2017.
I was able to spend a few minutes at a technical rehearsal with Associate Director Katie Henry and Puppetry Director Jimmy Grimes. Now, I was expecting to be impressed but to see the horses up close was remarkable because of how quickly it messes with your mind. The fine and subtle mannerisms work together seemlessly.
Puppetry doesn’t always conjure up the most exciting images. Puppetry often play a subsidiary role in theatre productions or is considered ‘just for children’. But the team at South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company are producing synthetic horses. Puppets on steroids. For younger children it might also scare them because of the power that a large animal can possess.
If you know the film but missed the play first time around, War Horse has been seen by over seven million people worldwide. It has won 25 awards including the Tony Award for Best Play on Broadway. Nick Stafford adapted Michael Morpurgo’s remarkable story of courage, loyalty and friendship, about a young boy called Albert and his horse Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War is the most successful play in the National Theatre’s history.
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