War Horse Review: National Theatre, Summer 2026

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The National Theatre’s legendary production returns to the Olivier Theatre this summer, and it is every bit as extraordinary as its reputation suggests

by Victoria Evans

I’ll be honest: puppetry has never been something I’ve actively sought out. Walking into the Olivier Theatre on Tuesday evening for the press night to review War Horse at the National Theatre, I was intrigued but not sure if I the puppetry would get in the way. What followed was one of the most unexpectedly moving theatre experiences I can remember, and taught me a lot about being open minded.

Based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, War Horse tells the story of Albert, a young Devon boy whose horse Joey is sold to the British cavalry at the outbreak of the First World War. Too young to enlist, Albert sets off to find him, from the fields of rural England to the trenches of wartime France. It is, on paper, a simple story. On the Olivier stage, it becomes something else entirely.

The Art of Believable Puppetry

The puppetry in this War Horse National Theatre production is extraordinary, and I say this as someone who arrived unconvinced. The life-sized horses created by Handspring Puppet Company are operated by teams of performers who are visible, and yet within minutes you forget they are there. I grew up with horses, I know them, their movements, reactions and behaviour so I was so totally impressed by what the puppeteers achieved. Joey breathes, flinches, startles and observes with a physical believability that should not be possible from a construction of cane and leather. Every ear twitch and every tentative step towards another animal is so precisely observed that it’s very easy to forget they’re not real and so the emotional connection between audience and performer is strong.

Special mention to the goose whose cameos at various stages of the show bring light and humour to such an emotional story. So loved was he by the audience, that he got his own curtain call!

The production is immense. Rae Smith’s set design transforms the Olivier’s wide open stage into Devon farmland, French countryside and the nightmare geography of the trenches, supported by Rob Casey’s lighting and 59 Studio’s projections, which shift the world beneath the actors’ feet. War Horse fills every inch of the large Olivier stage and the 1100-seater auditorium which becomes an immersive experience when Sally Swanson sings from the stalls, drawing us further into the story.

Tom Sturgess as Albert is completely believable, a boy becoming a man in real time, propelled by a loyalty that the audience never once questions. The rest of the cast match him completely, but it is the animals, Joey, Topthorn and even the smallest foal, that hold the room. The standing ovation at the end was immediate, full and entirely deserved.

Keeping You Enthralled

The running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes is something I had noted before taking my seat. Would I be clock watching, would I be comfortable, will I be willing it to hurry up? In the event, I did not look at my watch once. There is action, movement or emotional weight in every single scene, and the production never allows a moment for the mind to wander or the attention to drift. For children with the imagination to meet it halfway, this production will keep them captivated and stay with them long after the final bows.

This War Horse National Theatre production is recommended for ages 10 and above. Recommended for ages 10 and above. Take tissues. Take your children when they are ready. And go soon, it runs only until 30 July 2026.

*****5 stars

War Horse National Theatre Production

Morpurgo’s beloved novel, adapted by Nick Stafford and originally directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse has become the most successful play in the history of the National Theatre, winning more than 25 major awards including the Tony Award for ‘Best Play’ and has been seen by over 8.8 million people worldwide. It returns to captivate a whole new generation – now playing until 30 July 2026.

War Horse is at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX, until 30 July 2026.

Tickets available at nationaltheatre.org.uk or by phone on 020 3989 5455.

Recommended for ages 10+.

Captioned, BSL interpreted, audio described and relaxed performances available, see the National Theatre website for dates.

WAR HORSE
Royal National Theatre 2026

ANITA ADAM GABAY Emilie + Puppeteer (she/her)
RIANNA ASH Puppeteer (she/her)
ELOISE BEAUMONT-WOOD Puppeteer (she/her)
STEPHEN BECKETT Ted Narracott + Strauss (he/him)
IKE BENNETT David Taylor + Thomas Bone
JO CASTLETON Rose Narracott (she/her)
OWEN DAGNALL Geordie + Alternate Albert (he/him)
ALEXANDRA DONNACHIE Puppeteer (she/her)
FELICITY DONNELLY Puppeteer (she/her)
SAM GOODCHILD Puppeteer (he/him)
DANNY HENDRIX Vet Martin (he/him)
JASMIN HINDS Matron Callaghan (she/her)
LINFORD JOHNSON Sergeant Fine (he/him)
ANDREW KEAY Puppeteer (he/him)
NICHOLAS KHAN Arthur Narracott + Brandt (he/him)
MANUEL KLEIN Friedrich + Priest (he/him)
MICHAEL LARCOMBE Puppeteer (he/him)
MATTHEW LAWRENCE Puppeteer (he/him)
MADELEINE LESLAY Paulette + Sarah Carter (she/her)
WADE LEWIN Puppeteer (he/him)
JACK LORD Klausen + Allan (he/him)
DAMIAN LYNCH Carter + Thunder (he/him)
LEWIS MCBEAN Puppeteer (he/him)
CHRIS MILFORD Puppeteer (he/him)
COREY MONTAGUE-SHOLAY Billy + Klebb (he/him)
JORDAN PARIS Puppeteer (he/him)
ANNE-MARIE PIAZZA Nell Allan + Schnabel (she/her)
DANIEL ROCK Stewart + Ludwig (he/him)
SIMON STANHOPE Manfred (he/him)
TOM STURGESS Albert Narracott (he/him)
SALLY SWANSON The Singer (she/her)
LUCY THORBURN Jenny Bone + Annie Gilbert (she/her)
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS Captain Nicholls + Dr. Schweyk (he/him)
NIKO WIRACHMAN Puppeteer (he/him)
RAFE YOUNG Puppeteer (he/him)

Original Artistic team
Author Michael Morpurgo
Adapter Nick Stafford
Director Marianne Elliott
Director Tom Morris
Set and Costume Designer / Drawings Rae Smith
Puppet Design and Fabrication Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company
Lighting Designer Paule Constable
Director of Movement and Horse Choreography Toby Sedgwick
Puppetry Director Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company
Animation and Projection Design 59 Studio
Music Adrian Sutton
Songmaker John Tams
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt

Artistic team for the 2026 production
Author Michael Morpurgo
Adapter Nick Stafford
Director Tom Morris
Revival Director Katie Henry
Set and Costume Designer / Drawings Rae Smith
Puppet Design and Fabrication Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company
Lighting Designer Rob Casey
Director of Movement and Horse Choreography Toby Sedgwick
Puppetry Director Matthew Forbes
Animation and Projection Design 59 Studio
Music Adrian Sutton
Songmaker John Tams
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Music Director Dom Coyote
Casting Director Jill Green CDG
Fight Director Paul Benzing
Dialect Coach Rebecca Daltry
Associate Director Anna Marshall
Associate Set Designer William Fricker
Associate Costume Designer Johanna Coe
Associate Lighting Designer Tom Turner
Associate Puppetry Director Lewis Howard
Music Associate Matthew Gough
Co-Associate Sound Designer Rob Bettle for Sound Quiet Time
Co-Associate Sound Designer Emma Laxton
Casting Associate Olivia Laydon
Casting Associate Tom Shiels