A new U.K. tour is being planned for the fall of 2017.
The production, which is adapted from Michael Morpurgo's story about a boy and his horse set against the backdrop of the First World War, is now officially the most successful play in the National Theatre’s history. It has been seen by over 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 which moves to Shanghai later this year.
In a press statement, Morpurgo has commented, "Great things from small beginnings grow. Tom Morris and Marianne Elliott dared to take a children's book about a horse and a boy in the First World War, and make a play of it with puppets. But what puppets! Between them, the National Theatre and Handspring Puppet Company have transformed the use of puppetry in theatre. They wove into their play the design of Rae Smith, the music of Adrian Sutton and John Tams, glorious lighting and sound, and spent two risky years putting the show together. The result, after a stuttering start, was an iconic play, but not simply a play, certainly not a musical, a show like no other, with puppets at its heart. It has moved millions in London and all over the world."
Chris Harper, producer for the National Theatre, has commented, "War Horse has wowed audiences around the world, and we are incredibly proud of what the show has achieved over the last eight extraordinary years… We look forward to celebrating the final six months in London before galloping off on tour in 2017."
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, songmaker John Tams, music by Adrian Sutton and sound by Christopher Shutt. The West End cast currently comprises James Backway (Albert Narracott), Phillip Bertioli (Joey/Topthorn Heart), Ken Bradshaw (Priest/Gefreiter Karl), Adrian Christopher (Topthorn Head), Matthew Churcher (Joey/Topthorn Hind), Clare Louise Connolly (Baby Joey/Emilie), Alasdair Craig (Friedrich Muller), Harry De Moraville (Thomas Bone), Drew Dillon (Goose/Klebb), James Duncan (Joey/Topthorn Head), Nick Figgis (Dr Schweyk/Vet Martin), Patrick Fleming (Rudi), Keiran Flynn (Sergeant Fine/Col Strauss), Alan Francis (Sergeant Thunder), Colm Gormley (Ted), Dominic Hodson (Captain Nicholls), Ian Houghton (Sergeant Allan/Manfred), Mark Jackson (Captain Stewart), Simon Jenkins (Billy Narracott/Ludwig), Jamie Lee-Morgan (Joey Head), Nyron Levy (Topthorn Heart), Kate Marlais (Annie Gilbert), Shaun McCourt (Joey Hind), Tony McGeever (David Taylor), Jayne Mckenna (Rose Narracott), Chris Milford (Joey Heart), Gary Mitchinson (Joey/Topthorn Hind), Thomas Mittleheuser (Ensemble), Ben Murray (Songman/Sentry Shaw), Markus Schabbing (Joey/Topthorn Head), Adam Henderson Scott (John Greig/Geordie), Alisdair Simpson (Chapman Carter/Soldat Schmidt), James Alexander Taylor (Joey/Topthorn Heart), Emma Thornett (Baby Joey/Paulette), Lowri Walton (Ensemble), Scarlet Wilderink (Baby Joey), Sam Willmott (Topthorn Hind) and Simon Wolfe (Arthur Narracott).
To book tickets with no booking fees, contact the National Theatre Box Office on 020 7452 3000 or visit warhorselondon.com
