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[glenatron]

We went to see War Horse at the National Theatre last night. It's a long time since I've been to London or to the Theatre at all and I really enjoyed it- the puppetry was amazing, the horses beautifully observed ( I would love to know what study they did to get their horses to be so horsey ) played by three puppeteers, one handling each pair of legs and one operating the head. They were always moving- even when they were in the background they were breathing, swishing their tails, scratching themselves and generally being horses. I was very impressed with how they appropriated cinematic techniques as well- slow motion, freeze frames, panning the stage around to change point of view - all beautifully executed. And the combination of Tim Van Eyken performing music on stage and John Tams putting the songs together was as winning as anyone who knows who those two people are might expect.

Inevitably, given the story, the whole thing was pretty much heartrending- I think sleepsy_mouse and I both spent most of the second half in floods - but I'm ever so glad to have seen it.

Useful statistic from the programme- more than a million horses left Britain for France during World War One, 62000 made it back. Across all sides more than 8 million horses died in that war.

Comments

[spirithorse21.livejournal.com]

That sounds really neat. I'll have to see if that is something I can watch here in the states. I do love a good play.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

The National tend to do a very impressive young people's play around christmas- a couple of years back they did a very well reviewed adaptation of His Dark Materials - but I've not known any of them to go on tour beyond that unfortunately. I guess the amount of training the puppetteers and performers need and the size of the set makes it very difficult to take it to other theatres.

This youtube clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trIFlkJBFhw) has a few bits that show the horses in action.

[meupatdoes.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Atonement?

One part relevant to your post was quite traumatizing to me.

How long is War Horse going to be running? I could use a trip to London.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I think it's not far off finishing now, I'm afraid- between deciding to get tickets back in November and trying to buy some two days later the entire original run had sold out. They extended it to the end of this month and I managed to get a ticket for that a few days later. There may be cancellations to be found, though.

There are rumours they will be putting it on again late in the year.

[penella22.livejournal.com]

Wow. That sounds amazing. And it always breaks my heart to hear how many horses have died in war...

[penella22.livejournal.com]

I followed the link and those horses look so real!!! And there's pictures of people riding them...wow. I wish we had theatre like this over here too.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

They were just so well portrayed, they really moved in a horsey way.

I would love to know how they developed those performances - I guess they must have spent quite a while around real horses.

[gemmabowles.livejournal.com]

thats an enormous loss :( it sounds an amazing experience, i might have to go and see it. i wasnt aware that they didnt use real horses though!
i dont htink i could have lived back then, loving horses like i do now, and have been ok. i would have been distraught seeing all those bodies.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

The play itself is very distressing in it's portrayal. You know they're just bamboo and fabric, but you are so involved in the story that you don't see that.

[gemmabowles.livejournal.com]

thats how i would imagine it would be- we went to see the lion king, and you complete forgot the animals werent real, it was incredible. it was actually better than having live animals on stage... animals are great, but they dont act. some horses do, i suppose, but in general..

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

That was the last thing we saw in the theatre before this, ages ago. War Horse had a very similar quality of puppetry and cinematic performance style, although very english in look and a whole lot bleaker...

[gemmabowles.livejournal.com]

well yes, i doubt there is quite as much in the way of a happy ending, as there is with the lion king!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

The ending is quite upbeat, it's just all the stuff between the beginning and the end is exceptionally sobworthy.

Also the little colt puppet at the beginning is so cute!

[gemmabowles.livejournal.com]

shhhhhhhh! just incase i go see it!

as much as i would REALLY like to i feel its one of those things i wont end up doing :( but i really really hope i do.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

If you can beg, borrow or steal a ticket from somewhere you totally should go.

[tempusxfugit.livejournal.com]

That looks fantastic! I wish I was in the right country to see it! =/

[flax.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, the puppets are beautiful.

[skiesfirepaved.livejournal.com]

Was it on the drum stage (the one where a part of the stage can rise up and circle round and stuff ... I forget the real name. It wa son that stage when my mum went to see it). That's where I saw the stage production of His Dark Materials, awesome place!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

That's right- the Olivier theatre. It was truly amazing. Also,it turned out that the seats I chose - a few rows back because I didn't want to feel two close to the front and exposed were in fact the front row on a little raised bit on a level with the stage, so although there were a couple of other rows between us and the stage, they were kind of below us and we were right on stage level.