Newark Advertiser review: The National Theatre’s stage production of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, until Sunday, May 18.

War Horse is an utterly captivating depiction of the realities and brutality of war, and the love it takes to overcome such adversity.

The National Theatre’s acclaimed production is now showing at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, until Sunday, May 18.

Based on the beloved book by Michael Morpurgo, we follow Albert, a young Devonshire lad, who in the face of hardship raises a young foal named Joey into a magnificent and proud horse.

Best friends, separated by language and species, they forge a connection so strong that nothing could ever part them… that is, until the darkness of the First World War envelopes Europe and Joey is bought by an army officer.

Devastated, Albert volunteers to fight, trading the green fields of England for the battlefields of France, all in his determination to bring his beloved horse home — although it isn’t quite as straight forward as he first believed.

What follows is an emotional journey which does not shy away from the horrors of war and the realities of loss.

The actors all played their parts perfectly, performing with such sincerity that I couldn’t help but become lost in the story.

But the real stars of the show were the life sized horse puppets, and the magnificent puppeteers behind them.

For two and half hours I was fully engrossed in this world, and through it all the puppets came to life. I was transfixed.

The ability of the puppeteers to replicate not just the movements of the animals to perfection, but their emotions too, was truly incredible.

Even more emotional is the knowledge that the British Army took close to a million horses to war, and close to 940,000 of them would never return.

It goes to show that it is not just men, but all beings, who pay a heavy toll in war. This is as true now as it was a century ago.

So, stories about the power of love in overcoming adversity are incredibly important if we are to learn from the horrors of the past.

And we could all learn a thing or two from Joey and Albert.

Following a rousing standing ovation, the lights came up and it was clear there was not a dry eye in the house.

It doesn’t matter if you know nothing about the story, or grew up reading the book as I did. This show is the definition of what good theatre should be.

We laughed, we cried, and we learned. War Horse is a truly unforgettable experience and should not be missed. — FB