From the moment the lights dim and the haunting first notes fill the theatre, you know you’re about to witness something extraordinary. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, WAR HORSE has been a global phenomenon for over a decade, and its return to Cardiff feels like welcoming back an old friend, one who still knows how to take your breath away.
At its heart, War Horse is the story of Albert Narracott, a Devon farm boy whose beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the army at the outbreak of the First World War. Desperate and determined, Albert sets out on an impossible journey to bring him home. It’s a simple story, but one that hits deep. What makes it so powerful isn’t just the human performances, though they are all excellent, but the way the production transforms a piece of theatre into living, breathing art.
The puppetry, created by the Handsprint Puppet Company, remains the show’s defining triumph. Joey and his companion Topthorn are built from cane and fabric, yet they move with the grace, strength, and vulnerability of real horses. Within minutes, you forget the three puppeteers guiding each animal even exist. You find yourself flinching at the sound of gunfire, your heart pounding as Joey rears in fear, your throat tightening as he nuzzles Albert’s shoulder. It’s the kind of theatrical magic that makes you believe in the impossible.
The cast deliver beautifully grounded performances, balancing the intensity of war with moments of genuine warmth and humour. TOM STURGESS, as Albert, captures both the wide-eyed innocence of youth and the steely resolve of a boy forced to grow up too soon. His relationship with Joey is the emotional spine of the story, tender, loyal, and heartbreaking. Around him, the ensemble create a vivid picture of a world at war: soldiers, farmers, officers, and ordinary men caught up in something too vast to understand.
Check out the full cast and creative team HERE.
Visually, War Horse remains a masterpiece of stagecraft. The minimalist set allows light, sound, and movement to do the heavy lifting. A giant, torn scrap of paper becomes the projection surface for Rae Smith’s evocative designs, sketches of rolling hills, exploding shells, and desolate fields. The lighting is painterly, shifting from warm golds to icy greys, and the sound of galloping hooves and distant battle fills the space like a living memory. The effect is both cinematic and deeply intimate.
But what truly sets this production apart is its emotional honesty. It doesn’t rely on sentimentality. Instead, it finds beauty in the smallest gestures, a twitch of Joey’s ears, the faint tremor in Albert’s voice, a soldier pausing mid-battle to stroke a frightened animal. Amid the chaos, the show finds moments of stillness that say more than any speech ever could.
The music, by Adrian Sutton, and the haunting folk songs performed live by on-stage musicians, tie everything together with aching simplicity. The melodies carry echoes of hope and loss, grounding the story in a sense of humanity that transcends time.
By the final act, when the guns fall silent and Joey’s hooves touch home soil once more, the theatre feels suspended in shared silence, that rare kind of hush that only comes when a story has truly reached its audience. And then, as the applause breaks out, it’s thunderous, heartfelt, and fully deserved.
What’s remarkable about War Horse is how relevant it still feels. Even though it’s set over a century ago, its themes, love, loyalty, the cost of war, remain painfully current. The show doesn’t preach; it simply reminds us of the strength of compassion, even in the darkest times.
Leaving the Wales Millennium Centre, you can feel the impact lingering. People brush away tears, smiling quietly as they talk about the puppets, the songs, the sheer wonder of it all. It’s not just a play you watch; it’s one you live through.
Last night in Cardiff, War Horse proved that sometimes, the most powerful moments in theatre don’t come from spectacle or special effects. They come from heart, craftsmanship, and the simple, enduring connection between people, and the creatures they love.
If you see one show this season, make it this one. Bring tissues, bring a friend, and prepare to believe again.
WAR HORSE is at the Wales Millennium Centre for the rest of the week through till Saturday 25th October. Performances are at 7:30pm each evening with a 2:30pm matinee today (Thursday) and Saturday. Tickets start at £15 but some pervormances are showing limited availability, so you’ll need to be quick. For more details, and tickets, go HERE.
If you are a teacher or part of the education system, the War Horse team have a fantastic learning resource pack available. It includes a timeline of events from the moment Albert’s father buys Joey in auction in 1912 through to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. You can download it, free HERE.
