My collaborator Denny Lawrence tells me War Horse is one of the best three things he has ever seen on stage. Its New York production, involving big puppets, won five Tonys, including Best Play, last November and the London production, which won some Olivier Awards, is accepting bookings at the National Theatre for the next fifty-five weeks.
The script is by Nick Stafford from the young-adult novel by Michael Malpurgo, and was developed by the Handspring Puppet Company, which is based in South Africa, and there will be a Melbourne production of it later this year.
I have asked Denny to see the Spielberg film and make a comparison in these pages of the two experiences, but he is disinclined to do so, having read my review of the film.
If anyone who has seen both versions would like to write in and make the comparison I will publish their views in this column, or in the letters section underneath it.
Name:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFupJ8JqAw
You can see how the stage version was created. The mechanical horses were very well crafted. The black officer less so. The producers need to research the period and class system a little more.