Yesterday evening I was delighted to be invited by Brian and Pat to join them for viewing the play, War Horse at the theatre in Working. I had earlier seen the movie and was quite happy with it. Knowing that the central character of the story is the horse, I did not expect much life in this play, thinking that it would be mostly used as a prop. However, I was in for a big surprise. The way the horse(s) are characterized in the play is amazing.
The play itself is nearly two and half hours and follows very close to the script of the movie. Know not if it is the same in the original book itself. The horses involved in the play are puppets which are brought to life by three persons, two walking inside the horse and one operating the head. But it is not just walking around with the frame of a horse, the puppet is really brought to life by the three persons operating the frame. For a while I was watching the persons hidden underneath and the person operating the head, but very soon they did not really "appear" - all that was 'to be seen' was the horse! The grunts and huffs, the flick of the tail, the breathing, the twitch of the ears, the movement of the head and even the trot so beautifully synchronized and close to reality that it is hard to imagine that one is watching a puppet!
The actors who portrayed the persons involved too do a great job, as is the portrayal of war scenes using light and sound but what stands out is the way the horses are brought alive! Really amazing. And given that the whole run is a single shot (unlike a movie where they have the whole time in the world and opportunities for retake), makes the play something superb. No wonder the play has been running to packed shows for 8 long years in selected theatres in England. Though very pricey (£ 54), I enjoyed every bit of it. Thanks to Brian and Pat!
The play itself is nearly two and half hours and follows very close to the script of the movie. Know not if it is the same in the original book itself. The horses involved in the play are puppets which are brought to life by three persons, two walking inside the horse and one operating the head. But it is not just walking around with the frame of a horse, the puppet is really brought to life by the three persons operating the frame. For a while I was watching the persons hidden underneath and the person operating the head, but very soon they did not really "appear" - all that was 'to be seen' was the horse! The grunts and huffs, the flick of the tail, the breathing, the twitch of the ears, the movement of the head and even the trot so beautifully synchronized and close to reality that it is hard to imagine that one is watching a puppet!
The actors who portrayed the persons involved too do a great job, as is the portrayal of war scenes using light and sound but what stands out is the way the horses are brought alive! Really amazing. And given that the whole run is a single shot (unlike a movie where they have the whole time in the world and opportunities for retake), makes the play something superb. No wonder the play has been running to packed shows for 8 long years in selected theatres in England. Though very pricey (£ 54), I enjoyed every bit of it. Thanks to Brian and Pat!
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