The National Theatre's Multi-Award-Winning Production of War Horse Set to Visit Newcastle
The National Theatre’s global smash-hit production of War Horse, the unforgettable theatrical event based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, will return to the North East and visit Newcastle Theatre Royal for the first time (Wed 10 – Sat 20 Sep 2025).
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. This all-new tour is co-produced with Michael Harrison - the North East born producer behind Newcastle Theatre Royal’s record-breaking pantomime, Fiery Angel, and Playing Field.
War Horse tells the remarkable story of a young boy called Albert and his horse Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War. This powerfully moving and imaginative drama is a show of phenomenal inventiveness, filled with stirring music and songs. The production features ground-breaking puppetry work by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, whose breathtaking work was most recently showcased on the Newcastle Theatre Royal stage during Yann Martel’s adaptation of Life of Pi in 2024.
War Horse brings breathing, galloping, charging, horses to thrilling life on stage and has inspired a generation of theatre-makers since its premiere in 2007.
Creative development for the tour has been led by Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry, featuring reimagined designs by Rae Smith and additional music by Adrian Sutton. Puppet design and fabrication is by Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company, lighting design is by Rob Casey, movement and horse choreography is by Toby Sedgwick with puppet direction by Matthew Forbes. Animation and projection design is by Nicol Scott for 59 Productions, John Tams is songmaker and sound design is by Christopher Shutt. Casting is by Jill Green CDG. They are joined by associate designer William Fricker and associate costume designer Johanna Coe, associate lighting designer Tom Turner, assistant lighting designer Charly Dunford, music associate Matthew Gough, associate sound designer Rob Bettle, assistant sound designer Raffaela Pancucci, musical director Dom Coyote, fight director Paul Benzing, voice coach Carol Fairlamb, dialect coach Rebecca Daltry, resident director Anna Marshall, assistant puppetry director Lewis Howard and dramatherapist Samantha Adams. Casting associates are Olivia Laydon and Tom Shiels. Casting is to be announced.
Director, Tom Morris said, “It has been a huge privilege to be invited to revisit War Horse and to share this powerful story once more with audiences around the country. Michael Morpurgo’s brilliant idea, to explore the crushing violence of war through the experience of a horse, makes his story as powerful and resonant today as it has ever been.”
Author Michael Morpurgo said: “I am so delighted the National Theatre’s iconic production of War Horse is back! When Covid closed the show down in 2020 in Australia in the midst of its second World Tour, many thought, and I was amongst them, that we’d never see War Horse on stage again. Now it’s really happening - we get to live Joey’s story again with wonderful music and songs and be amazed by the show’s design and lighting. War Horse is about the tragedy of war and about a horse and his boy, but it's also so many other things - it's about family and community, courage and loss, hope, and most importantly reconciliation.”
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.
This tour of War Horse marks 110 years since the start of the First World War and follows the 40th anniversary of the publication of Michael Morpurgo’s global best-selling novel, which has now sold over 2 million copies world-wide and in 44 different languages. War Horse received its world premiere on 9 October 2007 at the National Theatre, where it played for two seasons before opening at the New London Theatre in March 2009. Since then, War Horse has been seen in 97 cities in 14 countries, including productions on Broadway, in Toronto and Berlin, with touring productions in the UK and Ireland, North America, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Executive Director of the National Theatre, Kate Varah said: “This moving and spectacular production has captured the imagination of millions of audience members across the world since it was first performed on the Olivier stage in 2007 and we are deeply appreciative and excited, to be working with our co-producers to make this possible in the current landscape.”
War Horse plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Wed 10 – Sat 20 Sep 2025. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.
Image Credit: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
