War Horse author Michael Morpurgo & 'Joey' visit The Lowry to mark the announcement of the National Theatre's major new tour
War Horse author Michael Morpurgo & ‘Joey’ visited The Lowry today, Wednesday 7th February, to mark the announcement of the National Theatre’s major new tour.
The National Theatre’s global smash-hit production of War Horse, the unforgettable theatrical event based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, will embark on a major 18-month UK Tour from 5 September 2024, touring through to 2026.
Opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre (5 – 14 September), War Horse will come to The Lowry, Salford from Wednesday 18th to Saturday 28th September.
To mark the announcement, Michael Morpurgo and Joey visited The Lowry earlier today – download images here
War Horse, adapted by Nick Stafford and originally directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, has become the most successful play in the history of the National Theatre, winning more than 25 major awards and has been seen by over 8.3 million people worldwide. This all-new tour is co-produced with Michael Harrison, Fiery Angel, and Playing Field.
War Horse tells the remarkable story of a young boy called Albert and his horse Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War. This powerfully moving and imaginative drama is a show of phenomenal inventiveness, filled with stirring music and songs, featuring ground-breaking puppetry work by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which brings breathing, galloping, charging, horses to thrilling life on stage and has inspired a generation of theatre-makers since its premiere in 2007.
Author, Michael Morpurgo said: “I am so delighted the National Theatre’s iconic production of War Horse is back! When Covid closed the show down in 2020 in Australia in the midst of its second World Tour, many thought, and I was amongst them, that we’d never see War Horse on stage again. Now it’s really happening – we will hear the music and songs, be amazed by its design and lighting, live Joey’s story again. War Horse is about the tragedy of war and about a horse and his boy, but it’s also so many other things – it’s about family and community, courage and loss, hope, and most importantly reconciliation.”