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War Horse Takes a Bite of the Big Apple
| The National Theatre production of War Horse opened on Broadway last night in a blaze of publicity. The show originally premiered at the National Theatre in 2007. It quickly became a sell-out success and returning for a second run in 2008, prior to a West End transfer to the New London Theatre. The play is based on a children’s novel by Michael Morgurgo, who recently spoke in an interview to Broadway.com about how the story developed from a chance conversation in a rural English pub 30 years ago. | |
A Poignant Wartime StoryAfter meeting an old solider from the First World War, Morpurgo listened to his compelling wartime tale of being stationed at the front with the horses and the close bond that developed between them as the conflict raged all around. Spurred on to do some further research, the author got in touch with the Imperial War Museum and learned the shocking statistic that only about 65,000 horses ever came back from the front, out of over a million that were sent abroad to help the war effort. His subsequent novel, based on the experiences of one of those horses, was published in 1982 and, although well received, didn’t trouble any of the best-selling lists. |
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Finally, in 2005, the National Theatre came calling. The Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa had been designing lifelike puppets for children’s productions since the 1980s and the National Theatre was keen to find a story to bring them to the London stage. War Horse came to their attention and the potential of the book was immediately apparent, with the animals, setting and story providing the perfect ingredients for a unique theatre experience. The show was on. |
War Horse the Movie – Coming Soon!Hollywood Director Steven Spielberg has been filming a big screen version of War Horse for release later this year. British actors David Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine and Benedict Cumberbatch are starring in the production alongside Emily Watson. The screenplay has been written by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and Richard Curtis (Bridget Jones’s Diary). Various English locations have been used, including Dartmoor and the picturesque Wiltshire village of Castle Combe - a place used in many films over the years, such as the recent Matthew Vaughn fantasy Stardust starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. War Horse at the New London Theatre Tickets |
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