REVIEW: War Horse - Liverpool Empire Theatre

On Wednesday 31st July, Liverpool Empire Theatre welcomed onto its stage the critically acclaimed National Theatre production of War Horse. A novel by Michael Morpurgo adapted by Nick Stafford, the show tells the tale of  a war torn country and the endearing relationship between Albert and his beloved horse Joey. Directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, designed by Rae Smith, the performance is a sight to behold and an emotional one at that.

During the opening scene we see puppeteers command swallows across a night sky whilst we are introduced to a young Joey and a mischievous goose.

Albert's reckless father Ted (Colin Connor) acquires the horse after spending 39 Guineas in a bid to inflate his ego and impress his rival Arthur. (William Ilkley). Ted uses the money which was allocated for the mortgage payments and is castigated by his frustrated wife Rose (Jo Castleton). We watch as Albert (Danny Hendrix)  trains the young foal; a hunter and half thoroughbred. The bond between the horse and the young boy develops. The emotive score serves to illustrate the depth of their connection. Albert wins the confidence of the young horse and nurtures it to full size. It is then that we, the audience were treated to the sight of a life-sized puppet operated by skilled puppeteers - we see the grown version of Joey for the first time. It was breath-taking. The ground-breaking puppetry work is an output of the excellent South African Handspring Puppet Company and watching the puppeteers skillfully operate them is both magical and captivating.

West End performer Ben Murray acts as Song person and was a wonderful narrator who seamlessly linked the scenes. Adrian Sutton's score was magnificent with a blend of genres all adding to the depth of the performance and contributing richly to the storyline.

This is puppetry at it's finest. You forget that the horses are not real and the fact that the puppeteers move with such grace, precision and even breathe, gallop and charge like real life animals serves to fuel the imagination and allows for an immersive experience for the audience.

Be aware that there are several instances of loud sound, gunfire, flashing lights and strobe lighting. Expect a deeply moving experience, delivery of first class standard by the cast and spine-tingling energy from the life-sized horses. This was my second time of watching the show and I felt extremely privileged to have watched the skill of the cast and the beauty of the puppets. It seems a travesty to call them puppets. They are so much more than that and the way in which they are operated is astounding.

The show is extraordinary and moving on so many levels as you observe different dynamics of relationships unfold before your very eyes. There are so many layers to the story, namely courage, loyalty and friendship. There is no surprise that this has been performed in 11 countries around the world with over 8 million people having seen it. This show is so worthy of the 25 awards it has received over its lifetime.

The performance runs for 2 hours and 40 mins and has one interval.

Don't miss a performance of this 10th anniversary UK tour. Buckle up for the mane event and enjoy the ride.

The show runs until Saturday 17th August 2019

Purchase tickets here