Now in its fourth year, Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book has been playing to packed houses at the New London Theatre where it continues to delight and thrill audiences from playwrights to politicians and rock stars to royalty.

There are plans for the National Theatre's production of War Horse to be seen across the globe with a Broadway production opening on 15 March next year and the West End production now booking until 18 February 2012.  Details of further productions, including an international tour starting in the Autumn of 2012, are due to be announced in the coming months.   Production is underway for Stephen Spielberg’s film version of Michael Morpurgo’s book which is expected to be released next year.

Since it’s opening almost 878,500 people have now seen the show, including, at the New London Theatre, over 60,000 children on reduced price tickets.    

At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France.  He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land.  But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.

Directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse is designed by Rae Smith, with puppet design and fabrication by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company, lighting by Paule Constable, and movement and horse choreography by Toby Sedgwick;  the puppetry directors are Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler, with video design by Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer, songmaker John Tams, music by Adrian Sutton, sound by Christopher Shutt.

The current West End cast is Jacob Anderson (Billy), Matthew Aubrey (Albert Narracott), James Barriscale (Chapman Carter/Colonel Strauss/ Sgt. Fine), Nigel Betts (Arthur Narracott/Sgt. Thunder), Andrew Bridgmont (Alternate Songman/Greig/ Schweyk), Matthew Burgess (Joey heart), Killian Burke (ensemble), Emily Cooper (Joey and Topthorn hind/Goose), Matthew Forbes (ensemble/Heini), Ross Green (Joey and Topthorn heart/ ensemble), David Grewcock (Joey and Topthorn head/ensemble), Robin Guiver (Joey and Topthorn heart/Geordie), Stephen Harper (Topthorn head/Geordie), Curtis Jordan (Topthorn hind), Nicolas Karimi (Topthorn heart), Tim Lewis (ensemble), Sarah Mardel (Baby Joey heart/Emilie), Jess Murphy (Paulette/Baby Joey hind), Eamonn O’Dwyer (Songman/Greig/Schweyk), Toby Olìe (Joey and Topthorn head/Goose), David Ononokpono (Captain Stewart), Ian Piears (Joey hind/Heine), Malcolm Ridley (Sgt. Allan/Schnabel/Manfred), Ruth Rogers (Joey head), William Rycroft (Bone/Rudi/Callaghan), Abdul Salis (David Taylor), Rachel Sanders (Rose/Sentry Shaw), Anthony Shuster (Priest/ Karl/Vet Martin), Perri Snowden (Captain Nicholls), Vanessa-Faye Stanley (Baby Joey head/ensemble), Ben Thompson (Joey and Topthorn hind/Goose), Zubin Varla (Friedrich Muller), Andy Williams (Ted Narracott) and Thomas Wilton (ensemble/Klebb).

War Horse is produced in the West End by the National Theatre and National Angels.

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