It will begin performances at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre Sept. 15 for a run through Oct. 14, then tour to Bristol Hippodrome, Liverpool's Empire, Oxford's New Theatre, Brighton Centre, Bradford's Alhambra Theatre and Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall.
The play, which is adapted from Michael Morpurgo's story about a boy and his horse, set against the backdrop of World War I, is now officially the most successful play in the National Theatre’s history. It has been seen by more than seven million people worldwide in 97 cities in 10 countries, including Broadway, where it won the Tony Award for Best Play. Most recently a Chinese-language production opened in Beijing, then moved to Shanghai.
In a press statement, Morpurgo has commented, "After a few months rest, out at pasture, Joey, the War Horse and his great team from the National Theatre, will be touring the UK again, from 2017 through to 2018 and the centenary of the end of the First World War, taking their show all over the country, to towns and cities, many of them places War Horse has not been seen before. I am so pleased this is happening; that so many more people will have the chance to enjoy this unique theatrical event. Steady boy, steady Joey. Trot on!"
War Horse is directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, designed by Rae Smith, with puppet direction, 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, with video design by Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer, songs by John Tams, other music by Adrian Sutton and sound by Christopher Shutt.
Tickets go on sale to the public at each venue from Feb. 8. For full touring dates, visit www.warhorseonstage.com
