WAR HORSE must be one of the most talked about productions ever.  The critics have given it countless five star reviews.

 

And now that I’ve seen the National Theatre production, I understand why it receives such praise.

 

As a piece of theatre it reaches exceptional, brilliant, unimaginable heights.   And even I, a word smith, cannot find an appropriate way to describe its impact.

 

So what is its secret?

 

It’s not the superb acting most notably by Lee Armstrong as the under age soldier seeking Joey, his horse, requisitioned by the army.

 

Neither do  Karen Henthorn’s portrayal of Rose, his caring mother or Martin Wenner’s  Hauptmann Friedrich Muller, a  German  horseman who adopts the British War Horse, have the key.

 

It can’t even be accredited to the Handspring Puppet Company,  creators of Joey, a magnificent example of feline flesh, and other animals and birds, or Director of Movement and Horse choreography, Toby Sedgwick.

 

Even  Paule Constable’s and Christopher Shutt’s lighting and sound design and

Adrian Sutton’s moving music sung by John Tams don’t  account for the play’s success.   Or. Indeed, Joey himself.

 

The answer is the emotion originally expressed by Michael Morpurgo in his book and enhanced by Nick Stafford’s stage adaptation.    They bring together all the above elements to make it whole and to make all who see it feel.  

 

There isn’t  a dry eye in the house, including mine, at the end

 

*   War Horse is at the Lowry until September 20.   For tickets, telephone 0843 208 6010 or online from thelowry.com/warhorse.   Star rating:   * * * * *