BWW Reviews: Award-Winning WAR HORSE Dazzles Audiences in Providence

The touring production of War Horse, now at the Providence Performing Arts Center, is a visual delight and a masterwork of theatrical craftsmanship.

War Horse, based on the novel of the same title by Michael Morpurgo (adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford), won five Tony Awards including "Best Play" in 2011. Morpurgo's book also inspired an Academy Award-nominated film adaptation by Steven Spielberg.

The play tells the heartwarming, at times heartbreaking, story of the bond between young Albert Narracott (played by Alex Morf) and his horse, Joey. Albert begins training Joey when the horse is just a foal and an abiding connection develops between the pair. When Albert and Joey are separated by the outbreak of World War I (Joey - sold by Albert's father - is sent to fight with the British cavalry while Albert remains at home, too young to enlist), Albert determines to find his horse and bring Joey back to the family's farm when the fighting ends.

War Horse is an exceptional production in every way. The stars of the performance are undoubtedly the exquisite puppets crafted by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company. The life-sized horses are spellbinding creations, sculptural and finely detailed in their execution.

The performers for Joey (Christopher Mai, Harlan Bengel, Rob Laqui) and Topthorn (Jon Hoche, Adam Cunningham, Aaron Haskell) demonstrate outstanding synchronization and puppetry skills in bringing their remarkable characters to life. While the puppeteers are visible at all times, their manipulation of these creatures is so fluid that their presence fades away to refocus all attention on the horses' movements. Those actions are impressively lifelike, right down to the twitching of the horses' ears, the swishing of their tails, and even the animals' breathing. The change of gaits from walk to trot, from canter to gallop is executed with astounding realism.

The horse puppets are also incredibly strong; both Joey and his fellow cavalry mount, the towering Topthorn, easily accommodate the weight of human riders throughout the performance. This makes for some truly breathtaking scenes, particularly as the cavalry rides into battle. Other differently-designed horses are featured throughout the show, including a miniature (though no less astonishing) version of Joey as a foal.

In addition to the equine "actors," several other puppets appear on stage as well. An abstractly-rendered tank rumbles ominously over the boards, while various birds - from high-flying sparrows to foreboding birds of prey - take to the skies. The most memorable, without doubt, is the Narracott farm's white goose (performed by Jon Hoche). This feathered character is a huge hit with the audience and provides just the right touch of humor without being overdone. The goose may be small, but it has such personality and attitude that it steals the scene in every appearance.

The War Horse tour also boasts a solid, professional troupe of actors, from the players in the most principal roles to the ensemble cast supporting the storytelling. Morf gives an impassioned performance as Albert, subtly maturing his character in each scene on his journey from wide-eyed farmer's son to battle-weary soldier. Morf's interactions with Joey are convincingly and effortlessly portrayed, and these solidify the horse-human relationship that drives the very heart of the story.

Andrew May plays Friedrich Muller, a German captain who abhors war and finds it easier to relate to animals than his men. May makes Muller a compelling and sympathetic character as he forms a special bond with Joey and (especially) Topthorn during the war and finds a surrogate daughter in the young French girl, Emilie (played charmingly by Lavita Shaurice).

Several scenes in War Horse scale back the battle to put a human face on the conflict. The confusion of languages - English, French, and German - is handled believably by all of the actors, and in an exchange both poignant and comedic, British and German soldiers work together equitably to free a hopelessly-tangled Joey from a sea of barbed wire.

The sets are spare but ideally utilized in the storytelling. The suggestion of a house through the use of a doorframe, or the recreation of battle using inventive lighting effects strips away any superfluous details to focus solely on the narrative. The characters' movements and actions on stage are enhanced by a slim projection screen overhead. This ragged line of screen also recalls the sketch of Joey that Albert tears from Lt. Nicholls' book and carries to France in search of his horse.

Parents should note, while the puppetry delights and amazes audience members of all ages, the wartime depictions of battle (including loud gunfire, coarse language, and the non-graphic deaths of both man and beast) are likely too intense for younger children.

War Horse plays the Providence Performing Arts Center through Sunday, June 9, 2013. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ppacri.org, by phone (401) 421-ARTS (2787), or by visiting the box office at 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI. Ticket prices range from $28-$71 and discounted rates are available for groups of 20 or more.

Photo © Brinkhoff/Mögenburg.