The tale features a farm boy, Albert, whose beloved horse, Joey, becomes embroiled in World War I. Shipped from the English countryside to France to serve in the cavalry, Joey gets caught in enemy fire and serves on both sides of the war. Later, Albert, grown into a young man, unable to forget Joey, sets out to retrieve him. The story in essence centers on an innocent animal enmeshed in barbaric human circumstances, much like his actual counterparts. Between one and two million British horses served at the front in WWI--only 65,000 returned. To portray the animals, the adaptation relies on realistic puppet-horses that are strong enough to support a man, however impossible a feat this might seem. These mechanical beasts come alive in a show that moves audiences, as Morpurgo himself reported after the Lincoln Center debut: "You really felt that people didn’t want to be going where they were being taken, so when the end did come and there was some redemption, the light shone even brighter because you’d been in such a dark place" (The Telegraph, May 30, 2011). The adaptation (of a story originally classed for young people) appeals to all ages. In 2010 the show broke the record for highest weekly gross earned by a play in London’s West End. War Horse has also been nominated for five 2011 Tony Awards, including Best Play of the Year.

Meanwhile, a reading of the novel has just taken place at a major 2011 literary event, the Hay Festival, outside Hay-on-Wye, Wales. It’s a venue that much amused great American playwright Arthur Miller. "Hay-on-Wye," he joked. "Is that some kind of sandwich?"


War Horse (2007 production); courtesy National Theatre.

Macbeth Sequel Resonates for Modern-Day Audiences
Imagine a production that, thanks in part to present-day world events, in part to writer David Greig and the Dunsinane production team, mounts a provocative sequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Well, actually we don’t have to imagine it, do we? The play’s present run at Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland (May 13-June 4), will be followed by a stint at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon (June 15-July 2). The production resonates with modern-day relevance. In the course of the play, an English army sweeps through the Scottish countryside to assume the seat of power under Siward, Earl of Northumberland (Jonny Phillips). Aiming to establish peace in a country that he does not understand, the English general confronts troop disillusionment, troubled relations with Macbeth’s successor (Malcolm), and a third unexpected development. Siward is powerfully attracted to the play’s other unforgettable lead, Macbeth’s widow, Gruach (Siobhan Redmond), otherwise known as “Lady Macbeth.” In this sequel, she survives, wily, seductive, ruthless, unmistakably redheaded. And she has a 15-year-old son (from a first marriage, before Macbeth), whom she sees as rightful heir to the throne. So what’s so evocative of the present day? Scotland’s new king, Malcolm, is quiet (regarded as weak?); the terrain, difficult and fraught with competing warlords; and the occupying army, troubled, its men yearning to go home. A complex, tribally divided land, with shifting loyalties, 11th-century Scotland brings to mind 21st-century Afghanistan. So does the play’s updated language. Take a quick look and listen for yourself.

The National Theatre of Scotland presents the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Dunsinane in association with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Courtesy National Theatre of Scotland.