To mark 110 years since the start of World War One and to commemorate Remembrance Day, the iconic puppet of the National Theatre’s War Horse, ‘Joey’, visited Beamish Museum’s Home Farm to remember not only the men and women lost in the First and Second World Wars but the animals who served, too.
The National Theatre’s production War Horse, which is currently playing at Sunderland Empire until Saturday 16 November, features ground-breaking puppetry work by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which brings breathing, galloping, charging, horses to thrilling life on stage.
Joey travelled to the museum on Thursday, 7th November to meet their Clydesdale horse, Mick, who is a real-life example of a working horse that would have been used in World War One. Also in attendance were Beamish Museum’s engagement staff, who recreated First World War soldiers.
This tour of War Horse follows the 40th anniversary of the publication of Michael Morpurgo’s global best-selling novel, which has now sold over 35 million copies in 37 different languages worldwide.
Rhiannon Hiles, Chief Executive of Beamish Museum said:“It was wonderful to have War Horse here and to see the actual Joey with our horse Mick. It was quite emotional when he came out of the hemmel. I felt a bit choked up and had a tear in my eye. It’s significant for us to host this, not just because we’re partners with Sunderland Empire, but because it’s brilliant to work together with anchor institutions across the North, especially at this time of year.
Yesterday being Remembrance Sunday, the staff came down into our 1900s Town – but we’re not just about the men and the women who fought and lost their lives, we’re also about the animals and we promote that as part of what we do, so to have had Joey here is very emotional. When you think about what took place back then, it was very significant and made quite a lot of impact for people. I know it’s a puppet, but it doesn’t feel like a puppet. It feels real.”
When asked about the significance Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse still has today, local actor Owen Dagnall from County Durham, who plays Albert, said: “It’s the humanity in it. It’s based on Joey and the bond he has with Albert. It’s humanity in its purest form. We need humanity – the rawness of it is very special. It’s very captivating.”
Hartlepool puppeteer Lewis McBean who plays Heart of Joey said: “There’s so much war happening and I think both World War One and World War Two made such big impacts upon everyone all over the world. Of course, we’ve built our future from that point on and war, no matter which one it is, teaches you lessons of how we act, the human condition and how we deal with things. What’s nice (about the show) is although war is the backdrop, it explores a lot of the relationships and how people deal with war in those moments, as well as how we connect and the decisions we make.”
At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. Albert, who remained on his parents’ Devon farm, cannot forget Joey. Though still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.
War Horse, adapted by Nick Stafford and originally directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris has become the most successful play in the history of the National Theatre, winning more than 25 major awards and has been seen by over 8.3 million people worldwide. Creative development for this all-new tour has been led by Tom Morris and revival director Katie Henry and is co-produced with Michael Harrison, Fiery Angel, and Playing Field.