A Theatre Outing to Remember: War Horse

A few of us went to see "War Horse" at the Royal National Theatre on Monday night. It has been the most succesful show in RNT history, and has sold out every performance - making it even more of a treat to see it! The true highlight of the show is the puppetry (especially the life-sized horses), all of which was orchestrated by the Handspring Puppet Company.

Here is a short summary of the plot:
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.

We lined up outside the theatre at 6.30am (for those who are unfamiliar with the RNT, the theatre has about 30 tickets reserved for every performance at only £10 per ticket. They only go on sale on the day of the performance, at 9.30am - with tickets limited to 2 per person. The earlier you queue up, the better - make sure you wear plenty of warm clothes! We had a sleeping bag, hot water bottle, mini blanket and coffee... and we were still cold). Despite the freezing conditions we put ourselves through in the queue, we all agreed it was well worth it. We had front row seats (centre), which was the perfect viewpoint for seeing the puppets being operated.

For those in London and enthusiastic about puppetry, this is definitely a show not to be missed. You have until January 24th 2009 to go and see it (and we thoroughly recommend you do!)