War Horse at New London Theatre

By Neil Cheesman

War Horse is a moving play based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford. It is directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, designed by Rae Smith, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Christopher Shutt. The puppet designs and fabrication are by Adrian Kohler, video design by Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer. War Horse is showing at The New London Theatre at Parker Street, London, WC2B 5PW.

This show has gained great review articles: "One of the very most powerfully moving as well as imaginative productions of the year, whatever age group one happens to be" (Daily Telegraph); "it allows you to celebrate to generally be alive" (The Times); This confirms the National's amazing knack of transforming children's literary works into the very best drama. Stunning.

At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert's much loved horse, is offered for sale towards the cavalry as well as shipped to France. He's quickly caught up around opposing forces fire, and also circumstances takes him on an amazing odyssey, serving on both sides before discovering himself all alone in no man's land. But Albert can't fail to remember Joey and, still not of sufficient age to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to locate him and bring him home.

Former theatres on the site include the 1851 Middlesex Music Hall which was rebuilt in 1911 by Frank Matcham and ended up being re-named the Winter Garden during 1919. The theatre became dark here in 1960 and ended up being demolished in 1965. The current theatre was designed with a third of the stalls on the revolve even though the walls were made to be movable, providing the New London Theatre's auditorium the ability to always be adaptable.

The modern New London theatre was made on the place of previous taverns as well as music hall theatres, where a place of leisure has been positioned site since Elizabethan times. Nell Gwynn was linked to the tavern, which in turn became known as the Great Mogul by the end of the 17th century, and offered entertainments in an adjoining hall. In 1919, the theatre was made available to George Grossmith, Jr. and Edward Laurillard, refurbished and reopened as the Winter Garden Theatre.

The Vagabond King was produced in the theatre in 1927, and in 1929, Fred and Adele Astaire starred in Funny Face. In 1930, Sophie Tucker took part in the Vivian Ellis musical Follow a Star, and in 1923, Gracie Fields made an appearance here in Walk This Way. In 1933, the theatre hosted Lewis Casson in George Bernard Shaw's On the Rocks, followed in 1935 by Love on the Dole, featuring Wendy Hiller. The theatre closed in the late 1930s, thereafter reopened in 1942. The theatre shut down again in 1959 when it was marketed from the Rank Organisation to a builder. It was then completely gutted and remained empty right up until 1965 to be replaced instead in 1973 by the current building.

The New London Theatre was designed by Paul Tvrtkovic and seating 960 on two levels, the theatre's auditorium first opened with a TV recording of Marlene Dietrich's one-woman show on November 23rd-24th, 1972. The theatre formally opened on January 2nd, 1973 along with a production of The Unknown Soldier and His Wife starring Peter Ustinov. It then hosted Grease, starring Richard Gere as Danny. The theatre ended up being used as a tv studio for quite a while after which returned to be used as a theatre. The theatre's biggest success was the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn musical Cats, which premired in the theatre on 11th May 1981 and closing in 2002.

Between 2003 and 2005 the theatre hosted Bill Kenwright's revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This closed after a two and a half year run on 3rd September 2005. Most recently, the venue played host to the London transfer of the off-Broadway production, Blue Man Group, which closed in June 2007, to make way for the Royal Shakespeare Company's repertory productions of The Seagull and King Lear, starring Ian McKellen. From Spring 2008, Gone With The Wind played for a relatively short run. The theatre has been owned since 1991 by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company.

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