First-look: New photos of War Horse on tour

Production photos have been released by the National Theatre for their major new tour of War Horse.

Based on Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling novel, the UK & Ireland tour started on 5 September 2024 at New Wimbledon Theatre in London, where it plays to 14 September.

The show then tours to Salford, Southampton, Canterbury, Sunderland, Plymouth, Oxford, Woking, Dublin, Belfast, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Glasgow, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Norwich.

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 new tour is co-produced with Michael Harrison, Fiery Angel, and Playing Field.

Photos: War Horse tour

The cast of 35 features Rianna Ash (Joey/Topthorn head), Alexander Ballinger (Friedrich/Allan), Diany Bandza (Emilie/Baby Joey), Eloise Beaumont-Wood (Baby Joey), Ike Bennett (David Taylor/Thomas Bone), Haydn Burke (Billy Narracott/Heine/Klebb), Sophie Cartman (Matron Callaghan), Jo Castleton (Rose Narracott), Owen Dagnall (Geordie), Alexandra Donnachie (Joey/Topthorn head), Felicity Donnelly (Joey/Topthorn hind), Tom Gilbey (Sergeant Fine), Thomas Goodridge (Joey/Topthorn hind), Karl Haynes (Ted Narracott), Robin Hayward (Joey/Topthorn heart), Michael Larcombe (Joey/Topthorn hind), Matthew Lawrence (Joey/Topthorn head), Madeleine Leslay (Paulette/Sarah Carter), Jack Lord (Klausen), Damian Lynch (Carter/Strauss), Lewis McBean (Joey/Topthorn heart), Chris Milford (Joey/Tophorn heart), Jordan Paris (Baby Joey), Anne-Marie Piazza (Nell Allan/Schnabel), Tea Poldervaart (Joey/Topthorn head), Lucy Thorburn (Jenny Bone/Annie Gilbert), Gareth Radcliffe (Arthur Narracott/Sergeant Thunder), Daniel Rock (Captain Stewart/Ludwig), Tom Sturgess (Albert Narracott), Alistair So (Vet Martin), Simon Stanhope (Manfred), Gun Suen (Joey/Topthorn hind), Sally Swanson (The Singer), Chris Williams (Lieutenant Nicholls/Dr Schewyk) and Rafe Young (Joey/Topthorn heart).

Video: Meet the cast and creatives of War Horse at rehearsals

The creative team of War Horse is led by Tom Morris, with revival director Katie Henry, and features reimagined designs by Rae Smith and additional music by Adrian Sutton.

Lighting design for the tour is by Rob Casey, with additional new lighting by UK design studio Ammonite. Animation and projection design by Nicol Scott for 59 Productions has been redesigned for this new production, the first since the show’s original debut.

Additional music is by Adrian Sutton, and puppet design and fabrication is by Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company. Movement and horse choreography is by Toby Sedgwick with puppet direction by Matthew Forbes. John Tams is songmaker and sound design is by Christopher Shutt. Casting is by Jill Green CDG. They are joined by associate designer Will Fricker and associate costume designer Johanna Coe; associate lighting designer Tom Turner; associate sound designer Rob Bettle, assistant sound designer Raffaela Pancucci, musical director Dom Coyote, voice coach Carol Fairlamb, dialect coach Rebecca Daltry, resident director Anna Marshall and assistant puppetry director Lewis Howard.

War Horse 2024 National Tour – rehearsal photos

The 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 35 million copies worldwide and in 37 different languages.

Book tickets to WAR HORSE – UK & Ireland Tour

UPDATES: First published 8 August 2024 with rehearsal photos and videos; Updated 11 September 2024 with War Horse production images

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Main photo: War Horse Tour. Tom Sturgess as Albert Narracott, Matthew Lawrence, Rafe Young, Felicity Donnelly as Joey.Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg