War Horse

Based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford, directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. Presented in association with Handspring Puppet Company.

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 odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.

Following His Dark Materials and Coram Boy, this new epic (suitable for age 12 and above) is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, Children's Laureate from 2003-05. The author of over 100 books, his novels include The Wreck of the Zanzibar (Whitbread Children's Novel Award), The Butterfly Lion (Smarties Prize and Writers' Guild Award), Kensuke's Kingdom, Private Peaceful (both of which received the Children's Book Award), The War of Jenkin's Ear and Why the Whales Came.

Nick Stafford's play Battle Royal was seen at the NT in 1999; his other plays include Katherine Desouza (Birmingham Rep), Love Me Tonight (Hampstead), Luminosity (RSC) and The Snow Queen (Young Vic).

Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris collaborate for the first time; both are Associate Directors of the NT. Marianne Elliott has previously directed Pillars of the Community and Thrse Raquin at the National; her recent work also includes Much Ado About Nothing (RSC). Formerly Artistic Director of BAC, where he directed numerous productions, Tom Morris developed Coram Boy for the NT.

Handspring Puppet Company was founded in Cape Town in 1981 by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler. Several of their productions have toured internationally, including Starbrites, Woyzeck on the Highveld and Ubu and the Truth Commission. Their most recent production, Tall Horse, the story of a captured giraffe, toured to America and Germany in 2005.