News: Further Dates Announced For War Horse UK & Ireland Tour

New dates have been announced for the War Horse UK & Ireland tour. The National Theatre’s global smash-hit production based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel embarks on its major 18-month UK & Ireland tour from the 5th September 2024 and tours through to 2026.

The new dates and venues for 2025 are; New Victoria Theatre, Woking (14 – 25 January), Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin (29 January – 1 February), Grand Opera House, Belfast (4 – 15 February), The Regent Theatre, Stoke (4 – 8 March), Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (11 – 22 March), Theatre Royal Glasgow (25 March – 5 April), Liverpool Empire (8– 19 April), Milton Keynes Theatre (22 April – 3 May), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (6 – 17 May), Bristol Hippodrome (3 – 21 June).

Previously announced dates are; New Wimbledon Theatre (5 – 14 September 2024), The Lowry, Salford (18 – 28 September 2024) Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (8 – 19 October 2024), The Marlowe, Canterbury (22 October – 2 November 2024), Sunderland Empire (5 – 16 November 2024), Theatre Royal Plymouth (26 November – 7 December 2024), New Theatre Oxford (10 December 2024 – 4 January 2025).

Further tour dates are venues are still to be announced.

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.

At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. Albert, who remained on his parents’ Devon farm, cannot forget Joey. Though still not old enough to enlist he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. 

Creative development for the tour is being led by Tom Morris with revival director Katie Henry, featuring reimagined designs by Rae Smith and additional music by Adrian Sutton.  Puppet design and fabrication is by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company, lighting design is by Rob Casey, movement and horse choreography is by Toby Sedgwick with puppet direction by Matthew Forbes.  Animation and projection design is by Nicol Scott for 59 Productions, John Tams is songmaker and sound design is by Christopher Shutt.  Casting is by Jill Green CDG and associate designer is Will Fricker.

Casting is to be announced.