The National Theatre’s original stage production of “War Horse” will be broadcast live from London’s West End and then shown in high-definition to audiences around the world—including at San Juan Community Theatre, Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, at 2 p.m.
Since its first performance at the National Theatre in 2007, War Horse has become an international smash hit, capturing the imagination of four million people around the world.
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford, War Horse is filled with stirring music and songs, taking audience on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of the first World War, in France. The story was made into a full-length feature film, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Jeremy Irvine and Emily Watson, and released by DreamWorks Studios in 2011.
San Juan Island’s Lori Stokes is one of those millions who got to see the production in London. Stokes says the play is very different from the movie and is one of the most “imaginative, moving” theatrical productions she’s ever seen.
“I can’t wait to see it again here,” she said. “What makes it so special are the horses – amazing life-size puppets that seem so real you have to keep reminding yourself that they’re only puppets.”
Indeed, at the heart of the play are astonishing life-size puppets by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, that bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage.
In addition to National Theatre Live presentations, the Community Theatre also presents operas via The Met: Live in HD. The HD programs were made possible through a generous bequest from the late Dodie Gann.
A complete schedule of the HD-live events is available at www.sjctheatre.org.
Tickets for War Horse are $20 for adults, $18 for SJCT members, and $10 for student reserved. The SJCT box office (378-3210) is open Monday—Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are also available online, at www.sjctheatre.org.
