Where shall I begin? Well, I had a hot date with Joey, the war horse, at The New London Theatre last night. I have never thought in my life that such a thing like a giant life-sized horse puppet can own the ability to captivate an audience in such an intimate way. War Horse obviously proved me wrong! The War Horse is a thrilling and spectacular production based on the celebrated children's adventure novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted by Nick Stafford. This sold-out award winning West End show has even inspired mega producer/director/screenwriter, Steven Spielberg, to make a War Horse Movie. The story of War Horse is based on the relationship of a horse name Joey and a boy name Albert. Joey is sold to the British cavalry and shipped to France in the outbreak of World War One, which led to Albert's distraught and his search for his beloved horse.
The most astonishing factor of the show is the puppets. The wooden and metal built horses, moved fluidly around the stage with such perfection in its' gestures. Each horse is controlled and maneuvered by three puppet masters who would simultaneously and without flaw work with one another. They would also manipulate his or her voice to mimic horse sounds in order to give the audience a truly believable and stunning performance. I take my hat off to South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company who did a magnificent job in bringing magic. The magic of breathing, galloping, charging horses to life on the stage. The automated movement of the horse's ears is my personal favorite! I can only imagine the amount of strenuous and repetitive practice the puppeteers must have gone through prior the opening of the show. It is ventriloquism in another level! Watching War Horse was such an amazing, cry-worthy, exquisitely beautiful and exhilarating experience. A definite must see!
Photo credit: Adinda S
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