Theatre Review: War Horse at The Alexandra Birmingham

AD: This Press Review refers to the 2025 Touring Production of “War Horse” at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham*

It’s an unusual Sunday afternoon visit for us to the Alexandra Birmingham for Press Night – or should that be Press Afternoon. But two things are drawing us to the theatre. Firstly, the air conditioning on this sweltering hot July day. And secondly, the internationally acclaimed National Theatre production of the beloved Michael Morpurgo novel War Horse.

Adapted by Nick Stafford and directed by Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry, this is a thoughtful and beautifully written play. A huge ensemble cast bring the story from the novel to the stage, accompanied by magnificent hand-drawn projections and stunning puppetry.

The story follows the relationship between farm horse Joey and his teenage owner Albert (Tom Sturgess) against a backdrop of The Great War. His father Ted (Karl Haynes) drunkenly purchases the young foal in order to get one over on his brother Arthur. Albert immediately forms a connection, naming him Joey and creating a special whistle which the young horse reacts to. Joey transforms, from a skinny nervous foal into a majestic fully-grown horse.

But when war breaks out, Ted sells Albert’s beloved horse and friend to the British Army behind his son’s back. And suddenly Joey is subjected to the horrors of the Great War. But Albert will do anything it takes to reunite with his old pal, no matter the perils he may face.

Songs are used to convey emotion and motivations when dialogue is not enough, but this is not a musical. The Singer (Sally Swanson) provides haunting and ethereal vocals, Adrian Sutton’s score is subtle, building tension and conversely calming heightened emotions.

I felt all the feelings throughout this play, from grief and devastation to love and hope. There’s no shying away from the suffering of war, from both human and horse perspective. Cavalry horses, used to pull ambulance carts and heavy artillery. Barbed wire fences. Death and sacrifice. Joeys first foray into battle as the steed of kindly Major Nicholls. The scene where Joey is stuck in No Mans Land stays most in my memory, where warring soldiers set aside their differences for a fleeting moment.

It’s not possible to put into words the astounding puppetry. Every inch of the life-size horses feel real. They breathe, they twitch, they fight, they dance and they demonstrate an unbelievable amount of emotion. The team of puppeteers deserve every single plaudit. There are 23 puppets in total, including Captain Stewart’s sleek stallion Topthorn, and Joey as both a foal and a fully-grown horse. And the goose provides some much-needed comic relief. It never does get through that door.

The Puppet Designer is Adrian Kohler, and Puppetry Director is Matthew Forbes. The lead puppeteers are on rotation throughout the tour; in this press performance, the horse puppeteers were as follows:

	Head	Heart	Hind
Joey	Tom Quinn	Lewis McBean	Michael Larcombe
Topthorn	Tea Poldervaart	Robin Hayward	Gun Suen
Joey as a foal	Eloise Beaumont-Wood	Clara Lioe	Jordan Paris

Tom Sturgess does an excellent job as Albert, maturing through the show and portraying touching relationships with depth and emotion. He is able to depict the impact of war, of feeling lost and powerless and broken. To be able to have such a sweet relationship with a puppet is testament to his talents as an actor. I found Alexander Ballinger’s portrayal of Captain Friedrich Müller particularly touching, demonstrating that on both sides there were men, with families, who simply wanted to connect with others.

The set itself, designed by Rae Smith, is minimalistic, allowing the cast – both human and puppet – to shine. Visual projections, intricate drawings and animations provide context and replace the need for showy scenery. The drops of blood which form a poppy field is a particularly poignant image. Atmospheric lighting heightens the emotion and images seamlessly blend into the live action below. It uses every inch of the Alexandra stage, yet still feels intimate.

It’s a yay, not a neigh, from me. And yes, I sobbed. Over a puppet horse. And I was not the only one judging by the number of tissues being brandished when the house lights went up. Probably the easiest five stars I’ve given a production in a long time.

All Production Images by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

War Horse is at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham until Saturday 19th July 2025. Purchase your tickets here. The UK Tour continues until November 2025; for a full list of dates, visit the official website.

A Brummie Goes to the Theatre! You can check out my other theatre reviews here

*Why is this post marked AD? I was invited to attend Press Night in exchange for an honest review. You can trust that I will always be honest and truthful on A Brummie Home and Abroad, and being an invited guest will not influence my opinion in any way.