The Sprout

Preview: War Horse @ Wales Millennium Centre

Posted by Jackofalltrades from Cardiff - Published on 04/11/2013 at 14:50
2 comments » - Tagged as Stage

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So, a little while back, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to attend the Welsh launch of War Horse at Cardiff’s own Wales Millennium Centre.

After the landslide success of the National Theatre show since its opening in 2007, with a global audience of over 1.8 million people, it’s such an exciting thought that in nine months time, the show that stretched the boundaries of what is possible to achieve on stage will be here right on our doorstep.

The show, using a remarkable combination of spectacular puppetry and live actors, follows the lives of Albert; a young boy from Devon, and Joey; his horse who is taken from him to serve the British Army during World War I.

The incredibly moving tale of the inextricable bond between man and animal that sends Albert across the world to try to find his friend Joey, was adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, and provides a depiction of war free from human bias through the eyes of an animal.

Arriving at the Millennium Centre at around eleven o’clock on the Tuesday morning, the clear skies and beautiful sunshine prophesied good things to come. I was not disappointed.

Through the glass front of the Centre came Joey at a canter, the three puppeteers controlling him entirely visible and yet non-existent to view. The pure realism of this creature (yes I say creature, not puppet) is something quite astounding. The subtle movements Joey made such as the turning of his ears in relation to sound, and the whip of his tail when he felt a little distressed or anxious, are so naturally incorporated that you soon forget to notice they are not the mannerisms of a great synergetic animal. But even more impressive than that, is the charm that Joey exudes. His larger than life personality fills any space it occupies, making it incredibly difficult to think of Joey as just some cleverly shaped pieces of wood and canvas created by Hand Spring Puppet Company instead of a living breathing organism that playfully yet cautiously sniffs the faces of the children waiting to see him.

Shortly after a quick photo shoot, a bit of a meet and greet and a showcase of a couple of Joey’s favourite tricks, he was taken back inside for some well deserved rest, giving me the opportunity to meet with the three talented actors/puppeteers who play Joey. They were kind enough to allow us to film our interview with them in which they tell of us of the trials and tribulations of being Joey! (Thanks to Dayana from ProMo-Cymru for being my expert camerawoman!)

You can see the interview here:

All things considered, it’s fair to say I’m more than a little excited to see War Horse next year (perhaps my most anticipated show of the year?) and I can’t wait to hear more from National Theatre and the company as they begin the tour.

Only nine months to go heyâ€¦.

War Horse comes to the Millennium Centre from the 18th of June to the 19th of July 2014, tickets available via the Millennium Centre Box Office and via here.

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