Review: War Horse at The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays*

[Ad-gifted] The National Theatre’s award-winning production of War Horse has galloped into The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays and we were there to witness every bit of it, and boy what an emotional and thrilling experience it was!

Originally written by Michael Morpurgo as a children’s book, War Horse has since been adapted for the stage winning countless awards and later produced as a box-office war film by Steven Spielberg.

Set during the First World War, the remarkable story tells us about a young boy, Albert and his beloved horse Joey. The story follows Joey and his eventful life as he is sold to the Calvary to aid the British during WWI.  Joey is soon shipped to France and story follows his treacherous mission in helping to fight the war. It is heartbreaking to watch this yet there are moments of joy and bravery that shines through the sorrow and pain.

The horses are mere puppets but they are so much more than that. They have been brought to life in collaboration with the Handspring Puppet Company, and become alive that you forget that they are not real.

What did I think of the show?

War Horse is a story many have read growing up, watching in the cinema or have discussed during English Literature class and although it is a children’s story, there are so many elements to it that even adults love the story.

The theatre was full and bursting with energy as I sat with my husband and two children aged 14 and 11. My children were excited to watch the theatre production for the first time as they are familiar with the story of Albert (played so wonderfully by Tom Sturgess) and his beloved horse Joey.  The audience were taken on an imaginative journey from Devon where Albert first met Joey, to France where Joey is sent and finds himself in the treacherous ‘no mans land’.

The production would not been what it was if it was not for the puppeteer director, the lighting designer, sound designer, director of movement and horse choreography as well as the animation and projection design and skilful performers who moved in unison to create a story featuring these magnificent equine giants which captivated the audience.

The set design which came to life with the wide projection screen and great play of lighting helped us visual the timeline and changed the settings and landscapes effortlessly without the scene/moment being disrupted.

We were captured in the horses magnificence as the equine puppets allowed these puppets to appear to be alive when they breathed, whined, galloped and made snorting noises which were so realistic that we forgot that they were not real.  My children and I were totally capture and mesmerised and emotionally pulled into the story.

The accompanying music and singing by Sally Swanson made the scene emotional and added the extra dimension to the show.  The outstanding cast brought life to the characters while still injecting humour in to the

Most importantly, this War Horse reminds us that not only around ten million people (globally) died during World War I which took place mainly in Europe but there were also around one million horses taken to France from Britain but only 62,000 were brought back. Lest we forget.

Cast

Baby Joey – Diany Samba-Bandza (head), Jordan Paris (heart), Eloise Beaumont-Wood (hind)
Joey – Rianna Ash (head), Chris Milford (heart), Thomas Goodridge (hind)
Topthorn – Matthew Lawrence (head), Rafe Young (heart), Felicity Donnelly (hind)

Alexander Ballinger (Friedrich/Allan), Diany Bandza (Emilie), Ike Bennett (David Taylor/Thomas Bone), Haydn Burke (Billy Narracott/Heine/Klebb), Sophie Cartman (Matron Callaghan), Jo Castleton (Rose Narracott), Owen Dagnall (Geordie), Tom Gilbey (Sergeant Fine), Karl Haynes (Ted Narracott), Madeleine Leslay (Paulette/Sarah Carter), Jack Lord (Klausen), Damian Lynch (Carter/Strauss), Anne-Marie Piazza (Nell Allan/Schnabel), Lucy Thorburn (Jenny Bone/Annie Gilbert), Gareth Radcliffe (Arthur Narracott/Sergeant Thunder), Daniel Rock (Captain Stewart/Ludwig), Tom Sturgess (Albert Narracott), Alistair So (Vet Martin), Simon Stanhope (Manfred), Sally Swanson (The Singer), Christopher Williams (Lieutenant Nicholls/Dr Schewyk).

Creatives

Directors Tom Morris and Katie Henry
Designer/Drawings Rae Smith
Pupper Director/Puppet Design and Fabrication Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company
Lighting Designer Rob Casey
Director of Movement and Horse Choreography Toby Sedgwick
Animation and Projection Design Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for 59
Music Adrian Sutton
Songmaker John Toms
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt

How much are the tickets?

Tickets are priced from £23 to £125. Age Recommendation 10+ years old

To book tickets please call The Lowry at 08432086000 or via their website here.  To book accessible performances, please email access@thelowry.com or call 0161 876 2183.

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

The show will be running at The Lowry Theatre until Sat, 28 September 2024 with performances  at 7.30pm and matinee at 2.30pm on Thu and Sat.

Accessible Performances

Audio Described by Caroline Burn: Wed 25 Sept 2024 at 7.30pm | Touch Tour: Wed 25 Sept 2024 at 6pm

BSL Interpreted by Emma Jane Mansfield: Fri 27 Sept 2024 at 7.30pm

Captioned Performance: Sat 28 Sept 2024 at 2.30pm

Where will the performance be held?

The Lowry
Pier 8
The Quays
Salford
M50 3AZ
Manchester
Tel: 0843208 6000

Notes:

• The Lowry welcomes all visitors regardless of their disability and strives to meet all individuals needs where possible.
• They welcome assistance dogs.
• The Lowry website is fully accessible and features BrowseAloud.  Browsealoud adds speech, reading and translation support, facilitating access and participation for those people who need support reading print, dyslexia, low literacy, mild visual impairments and those with English as a second language. To use this feature, simply click on the grey ear logo located in the footer.
  If you are driving to the show, we would recommend for you to park at The Lowry Outlet which is opposite the theatre, but be aware as there is lack of signage from the car park area to the theatre, so best to ask someone or use google maps to find your way.
• Pre paid car parking tickets can be purchased up to 24 hours prior to your performance. Please note they are unable to sell pre paid tickets on your performance date, and you will need to pay at the ticket machines in the car park. The tickets can be booked at the same time as your seats via their website, or over the phone on freephone 0343 208 6000.

About The Lowry Theatre

The Lowry is a registered charity committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives. They present audiences with a diverse programme of theatre, opera, musicals, dance, music, comedy and visual art as well as events and activities to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike.  At the heart of their work is a commitment to the local communities and young people.

Tapping into the work on their stages and in their galleries, they offer thousands of free creative participation opportunities each year. They are passionate about nurturing talent, developing creative professionals of the future and raising aspirations.

You may also want to read this:

Review: Murder on the Orient Express at The Lowry Theatre

Review: Life of Pi at The Lowry Theatre in Salford

Review: Unfortunate – The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch

Photo Credit: The Lowry Theatre