The National Theatre’s multi-award winning production currently running in the West End and on Broadway, will embark on a UK tour next year and is due to be staged at Sunderland Empire Theatre in 2014.
Exact Wearside dates are still being discussed, but the UK tour begins next autumn. The show premiered at the NT Olivier in October 2007, returned for a second run the following year and moved to the West End’s New London theatre in 2009. Nick Stafford adapted the stage version of Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 children’s book, which sees Joey the horse sold to the cavalry and shipped to France during the First World War.
Owner, schoolboy Alfie, vows to bring him home safely. Horses, other farm animals and some of the cavalry come to life using life-sized puppets created by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler for South African puppet company, Handspring. The puppets, and set designs by Rae Smith, earned Best Design prizes at the Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and Laurence Olivier awards
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