War Horse canters in for run in the capital

The award-winning and commercially successful show hits Dublin, reports Jo Kerrigan

THE spectacular dramatisation of Michael Morpurgo’s beloved children’s story has been a sensation wherever it has been played since it was first staged back in 2007. Now the National Theatre’s production of War Horse makes its Irish premiere at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin this week.

War Horse is the powerful tale of a young boy called Albert and his beloved horse, Joey, who has been requisitioned to fight for the British in World War I. Caught in enemy crossfire, Joey ends up serving on both sides during the war before landing in No Man’s Land, while Albert, not old enough to enlist, embarks on a desperate mission to find his horse and bring him safely home. It’s a remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship from an author who has written over 100 books and was Children’s Laureate 2003-2005.