The Lowry, Salford
The original magic that made the play the most successful in the National Theatre’s history still holds, with its visceral impact perhaps now more relevant than ever

Joey, the eponymous hero of War Horse, is surely one of British theatre’s most magical creations. On encountering the enormous beast a sort of myopia descends on the viewer and you stop seeing the three performers it takes to operate the puppet (here Rianna Ash, head, Chris Milford, heart and Thomas Goodridge, hind). All you see is Joey.

It’s a magic that original directors Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris harnessed to turn Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel into the most successful play in the history of the National Theatre.