War Horse (play)
Encyclopedia
War Horse is a play based on the book of the same name by acclaimed children's writer Michael Morpurgo
, adapted for stage by Nick Stafford
. Originally Morpurgo thought "they must be mad" to try to make a play from his best-selling 1982 novel. He was proved wrong by the play's instant success. The play's West End
and Broadway
productions are directed by Marianne Elliott
and Tom Morris
, with "horse choreography
" by Toby Sedgwick
.
at the outbreak of World War I
, "Joey," young Albert Narracott's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry
and shipped to France
. Joey serves in the British
and German
armies, befriends "Topthorn" (another army horse), and gets caught up in enemy fire; death, disease and fate take him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before being alone in No Man's Land
. But Albert cannot forget Joey, and, still not old enough to enlist in the army, he embarks on a dangerous mission to find and bring him back to Devon.
in South Bank
, London
, and ran until 14 February 2008. It returned for a second run, from 10 September 2008 until 18 March 2009.
's New London Theatre
, beginning performances on 28 March 2009, prior to an official opening on 3 April. The original cast featured Kit Harington
as Albert, who had also played the role in the South Bank production in 2008. The production also includes an original score composed by John Tams
.
The production met with critical acclaim for its life-size horse puppets from the Handspring Puppet Company
, winning an Olivier Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics' Circle Theatre Award. On 12 October 2009 the performance was seen by HM Queen Elizabeth II
and her husband Prince Philip
, marking their first private theatre visit in four years. War Horse has been popular with audiences, playing to 97% capacity in 2010, subsequently breaking the record for the highest weekly gross for a play in the West End. In December 2010, War Horse was dubbed "the theatrical event of the decade" by The Times
. In 2011 it welcomed its millionth audience member.
on Broadway
on 15 March 2011, and opened on 14 April. The British
creative team is joined by an all-American cast. Seth Numrich plays the leading role as Albert, with direction by Elliott and Morris. The cast includes Matt Doyle as Billy Narracott, Stephen Plunkett as Nicholls, Peter Hermann
as Friedrich Muller, T. Ryder Smith
as Arthur Narracott, and Alyssa Bresnahan as Rose Narracott. The production was originally scheduled to close on 26 June 2011, but is now an open-ended run after strong critical reception and ticket sales. The production received five 2011 Tony Awards, including best play.
, Canada
, production is expected to open on 28 February 2012 at Mirvish Productions
' Princess of Wales Theatre
, following previews from 10 February. The cast will star Alex Furber as Albert, with Canadian actors Brad Rudy, Tamara Bernier-Evans, Richard McMillan and Patrick Galligan in supporting roles. The creative team is the same as the West End and Broadway productions.
national touring production of War Horse will begin in Los Angeles
, California
, at the Ahmanson Theatre
on 13 June 2012.
directed the movie adaptation
of War Horse, to be released in December 2011, with the screenplay written by Richard Curtis
and Lee Hall
. The film was shot entirely in England — in Devon
, at Stratfield Saye
in Berkshire
, at Wisley
in Surrey
, in Luton Hoo Estate, Bedfordshire and at Castle Combe
in Wiltshire
, using real horses rather than puppets.
s Michael Billington wrote in his review:
Charles Spencer in The Daily Telegraph
had written that, generally, "puppets are often an embarrassment, involving a lot of effort and fuss for negligible returns"; in this case, he praised the puppetry as "truly magnificent creations by the Handspring Puppet Company." The Times
10-year old guest reviewer called the show "movingly and realistically brought to life" and "an emotional and compelling adaptation of the book."
In reviewing the Broadway production, Ben Brantley
in The New York Times
wrote, "...it is how Joey is summoned into being, along with an assortment of other animals, that gives this production its ineffably theatrical magic...Beautifully designed by Rae Smith ... and Paule Constable, this production is also steeped in boilerplate sentimentality. Beneath its exquisite visual surface, it keeps pushing buttons like a sales clerk in a notions shop." Brantley suggests, "The implicit plea not to be forgotten applies not just to the villagers, soldiers and horses portrayed here, but also to theater, as an evanescent art that lives on only in audiences’ memories. Judged by that standard, much of War Horse evaporates not long after it ends. But I would wager that for a good while, you’ll continue to see Joey in your dreams."
Entertainment Weekly
gave a positive review, calling the show an "imaginative, moving new Broadway drama ... The play's equine stars are the remarkable creation of Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones' Handspring Puppet Company. As manipulated by three handlers dressed in period costumes, the life-size creatures seem to breathe, snort, feed, walk, gallop, and rear up just as naturally as the genuine articles. In no time at all, they become characters as rounded and complex as any of the humans on stage."
The Wall Street Journal
s Terry Teachout praised the puppetry, but gave mixed reactions to the play: "The fundamental flaw of "War Horse" is that Nick Stafford, who wrote the script "in association" (that's how the credit reads) with South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, has taken a book that was written for children and tried to give it the expressive weight of a play for adults. Not surprisingly, Mr. Morpurgo's plot can't stand the strain. Dramatic situations that work perfectly well in the context of the book play like Hollywood clichés onstage. In the first act, the craftsmanship is so exquisite that this doesn't matter—much—but things go downhill fast after intermission. The really big problem is the last scene, about which, once again, the drama critics' code commands silence. This much must be said, though: A play that is so forthright about the horrors of war owes its audience a more honest ending."
2007 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
2008 Laurence Olivier Awards
2010 Laurence Olivier Awards
s
2011 Tony Awards
In addition, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of Handspring Puppet Company won the Special Tony Award for War Horse.
2011 Drama Desk Award
s
2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards
In addition, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of Handspring Puppet Company won the Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award, for "Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction for War Horse".
2011 Fred & Adele Astaire Awards
Video: Talk by Handspring Puppet Company at TED on 1 March 2011 about the War Horse puppet
Video: "The making of War Horse - projection and animation" by 59 Productions
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
, adapted for stage by Nick Stafford
Nick Stafford
Nick Stafford is a British playwright and writer. He is best known for writing the stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse, which garnered him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play in 2008, and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2011.-Career:Stafford trained at Rose...
. Originally Morpurgo thought "they must be mad" to try to make a play from his best-selling 1982 novel. He was proved wrong by the play's instant success. The play's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions are directed by Marianne Elliott
Marianne Elliott (director)
Marianne Elliott is a British theatre director.-Early life:Marianne Elliott was born in 1966 in London, the daughter of Michael Elliott, the theatre director and co-founder of the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and the actress Rosalind Knight. The family moved to Manchester when she was 8...
and Tom Morris
Tom Morris (director)
Tom Morris is a British theatre director, writer and producer. He was the Associate Director at the National Theatre in London, before taking over as Artistic Director of the Bristol Old Vic theatre in 2009.-Early life:...
, with "horse choreography
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
" by Toby Sedgwick
Toby Sedgwick
Toby Sedgwick is a British movement director, actor, and theatre choreographer. He achieved critical acclaim for providing "horse choreography" for War Horse, currently playing at West End's New London Theatre and Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theatre...
.
Synopsis
In DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, "Joey," young Albert Narracott's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and shipped to France
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
. Joey serves in the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
armies, befriends "Topthorn" (another army horse), and gets caught up in enemy fire; death, disease and fate take him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before being alone in No Man's Land
No Man's Land
No man's land is an unoccupied area between two opposing positions.No Man's Land may also refer to:-Places:In the United Kingdom* No Man's Land, Cornwall, England* No Man's Land Fort, off the coast of England* Nomansland, Devon, England...
. But Albert cannot forget Joey, and, still not old enough to enlist in the army, he embarks on a dangerous mission to find and bring him back to Devon.
South Bank (2007-2009)
The show premiered on 17 October 2007 at the Royal National-Olivier TheatreRoyal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and ran until 14 February 2008. It returned for a second run, from 10 September 2008 until 18 March 2009.
West End (2009-)
War Horse transferred to the West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
's New London Theatre
New London Theatre
The New London Theatre is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden, in the London Borough of Camden...
, beginning performances on 28 March 2009, prior to an official opening on 3 April. The original cast featured Kit Harington
Kit Harington
Christopher "Kit" Harington is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:Harington attended Southfield Primary School between 1992 and 1998. Harington then went on to attend the Chantry High School, in Martley between 1998 and 2003...
as Albert, who had also played the role in the South Bank production in 2008. The production also includes an original score composed by John Tams
John Tams
John Tams is an English actor, singer, songwriter, composer and musician.- Folk musician :John Tams was a member of Derbyshire folk group Muckram Wakes in the 1970s, then worked with Ashley Hutchings as singer and melodeon-player on albums including Son of Morris On, and as a member of the...
.
The production met with critical acclaim for its life-size horse puppets from the Handspring Puppet Company
Handspring Puppet Company
The Handspring Puppet Company is a puppetry performance and design company established in 1981 by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones, situated in Cape Town, South Africa. Thys Stander is the company's chief puppet maker.-History:...
, winning an Olivier Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics' Circle Theatre Award. On 12 October 2009 the performance was seen by HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and her husband Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, marking their first private theatre visit in four years. War Horse has been popular with audiences, playing to 97% capacity in 2010, subsequently breaking the record for the highest weekly gross for a play in the West End. In December 2010, War Horse was dubbed "the theatrical event of the decade" by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. In 2011 it welcomed its millionth audience member.
Broadway (2011-)
War Horse began performances at the Vivian Beaumont TheatreVivian Beaumont Theatre
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
on 15 March 2011, and opened on 14 April. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
creative team is joined by an all-American cast. Seth Numrich plays the leading role as Albert, with direction by Elliott and Morris. The cast includes Matt Doyle as Billy Narracott, Stephen Plunkett as Nicholls, Peter Hermann
Peter Hermann
Peter Hermann is a German-American actor and writer. He is married to actress Mariska Hargitay, with whom he has three children.-Career:Hermann had brief stints on a variety of television shows that include the soap opera, Guiding Light , the ABC Family show, Beautiful People and the Lifetime...
as Friedrich Muller, T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith is an American actor. A native of New York state and long-time resident of New York City, he has appeared frequently on stage, particularly in avant-garde theatre works, and in film, sometimes as a voice actor.-Stage:...
as Arthur Narracott, and Alyssa Bresnahan as Rose Narracott. The production was originally scheduled to close on 26 June 2011, but is now an open-ended run after strong critical reception and ticket sales. The production received five 2011 Tony Awards, including best play.
Toronto (2012-)
A TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, production is expected to open on 28 February 2012 at Mirvish Productions
Mirvish Productions
Mirvish Productions is a Canadian based theatrical production company and promoter.The company was founded in 1987 by David Mirvish, son of Toronto retailing icon and owner of the Royal Alexandra Theatre Ed Mirvish....
' Princess of Wales Theatre
Princess of Wales Theatre
The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2000-seat theatre located at 300 King Street West in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District in the downtown area...
, following previews from 10 February. The cast will star Alex Furber as Albert, with Canadian actors Brad Rudy, Tamara Bernier-Evans, Richard McMillan and Patrick Galligan in supporting roles. The creative team is the same as the West End and Broadway productions.
U.S. tour (2012-)
A United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national touring production of War Horse will begin in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, at the Ahmanson Theatre
Ahmanson Theatre
The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that comprise the Los Angeles Music Center.Through the generosity of philanthropist Robert H. Ahmanson, construction began on March 9, 1962. The theatre opened on April 12, 1967 with a production of More Stately Mansions starring Ingrid Bergman,...
on 13 June 2012.
Film adaptation
Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
directed the movie adaptation
War Horse (film)
War Horse is a 2011 British-American war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and is intended for release in the United States on 25 December 2011 and in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2012...
of War Horse, to be released in December 2011, with the screenplay written by Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
and Lee Hall
Lee Hall (playwright)
Lee Hall is an English playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for the 2000 film Billy Elliot.-Early life:...
. The film was shot entirely in England — in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, at Stratfield Saye
Stratfield Saye
Stratfield Saye is a village and civil parish in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire.The parish includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross.The name means 'Street-Field of the Saye family'...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, at Wisley
Wisley
Wisley is a small village in Surrey, England. It lies between Cobham and Woking. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, in Luton Hoo Estate, Bedfordshire and at Castle Combe
Castle Combe
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, using real horses rather than puppets.
Response
The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Michael Billington wrote in his review:
"Elliott and Morris recreate the kaleidoscopic horror of war through bold imagery, including the remorseless advance of a manually-operated tank, and through the line-drawings of Rae Smith projected on to a suspended screen. Admittedly the performers are somewhat eclipsed by the action ... The joy of the evening, however, lies in the skilled recreation of equine life and in its unshaken belief that mankind is ennobled by its love of the horse."
Charles Spencer in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
had written that, generally, "puppets are often an embarrassment, involving a lot of effort and fuss for negligible returns"; in this case, he praised the puppetry as "truly magnificent creations by the Handspring Puppet Company." The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
10-year old guest reviewer called the show "movingly and realistically brought to life" and "an emotional and compelling adaptation of the book."
In reviewing the Broadway production, Ben Brantley
Ben Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote, "...it is how Joey is summoned into being, along with an assortment of other animals, that gives this production its ineffably theatrical magic...Beautifully designed by Rae Smith ... and Paule Constable, this production is also steeped in boilerplate sentimentality. Beneath its exquisite visual surface, it keeps pushing buttons like a sales clerk in a notions shop." Brantley suggests, "The implicit plea not to be forgotten applies not just to the villagers, soldiers and horses portrayed here, but also to theater, as an evanescent art that lives on only in audiences’ memories. Judged by that standard, much of War Horse evaporates not long after it ends. But I would wager that for a good while, you’ll continue to see Joey in your dreams."
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave a positive review, calling the show an "imaginative, moving new Broadway drama ... The play's equine stars are the remarkable creation of Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones' Handspring Puppet Company. As manipulated by three handlers dressed in period costumes, the life-size creatures seem to breathe, snort, feed, walk, gallop, and rear up just as naturally as the genuine articles. In no time at all, they become characters as rounded and complex as any of the humans on stage."
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
s Terry Teachout praised the puppetry, but gave mixed reactions to the play: "The fundamental flaw of "War Horse" is that Nick Stafford, who wrote the script "in association" (that's how the credit reads) with South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, has taken a book that was written for children and tried to give it the expressive weight of a play for adults. Not surprisingly, Mr. Morpurgo's plot can't stand the strain. Dramatic situations that work perfectly well in the context of the book play like Hollywood clichés onstage. In the first act, the craftsmanship is so exquisite that this doesn't matter—much—but things go downhill fast after intermission. The really big problem is the last scene, about which, once again, the drama critics' code commands silence. This much must be said, though: A play that is so forthright about the horrors of war owes its audience a more honest ending."
London production
2007 Evening Standard AwardsEvening Standard Awards
The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre. Sponsored by the Evening Standard newspaper, they are announced in late November or early December...
- Best Director (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, nominee)
- Best Design (Rae Smith and the Handspring Puppet Company, winner)
2007 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
- Best Designer (Basil Jones, Adrian Kohler, Rae Smith, and the Handspring Puppet Company, winner)
2008 Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
- Best New Play (nominee)
- Best Lighting Design (Paule Constable, nominee)
- Best Sound Design (Adrian Sutton and John Tams, nominee)
- Best Set Design (Rae Smith, Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler, winner)
- Best Theatre Choreographer (Toby Sedgwick, winner)
- Best Director (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, nominee)
2010 Laurence Olivier Awards
2010 Laurence Olivier Awards
The 2010 Olivier Awards were held on 21 March 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.-Award winners and nominees:*Best Actress**Rachel Weisz, A Streetcar Named Desire - Donmar Warehouse**Gillian Anderson, A Doll's House - Donmar Warehouse...
- Audience Award for Most Popular Show (nominee)
Broadway production
2011 Drama League AwardDrama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
s
- Distinguished Production of a Play (winner)
- Distinguished Performance (Seth Numrich, nominee)
2011 Tony Awards
- Best Play (winner)
- Best Direction of a Play (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, winner)
- Best Scenic Design of a Play (Rae Smith, winner)
- Best Lighting Design of a Play (Paule Constable, winner)
- Best Sound Design of a Play (Christopher Shutt, winner)
In addition, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of Handspring Puppet Company won the Special Tony Award for War Horse.
2011 Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
s
- Outstanding Play (winner)
2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards
- Outstanding New Broadway Play (winner)
- Outstanding Director of a Play (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, winner)
- Outstanding Lighting Design (Paule Constable, winner)
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Seth Numrich, nominee)
In addition, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of Handspring Puppet Company won the Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award, for "Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction for War Horse".
2011 Fred & Adele Astaire Awards
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
- Best Broadway Choreographer (Toby Sedgwick, nominee)
External links
War Horse information page at the New London TheatreNew London Theatre
The New London Theatre is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden, in the London Borough of Camden...
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian...
Internet Broadway Database
The Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....