The National Theatre Live broadcast of WAR HORSE, the unforgettable Olivier and Tony Award®-winning theatrical event based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, will return to cinemas around the UK and Ireland for the first time since its original live broadcast in 2014 from the New London Theatre in London's West End. War Horse will then be released to cinemas internationally for a limited time from 24 February 2021.
NT Live works with over 2,500 cinemas in 60 countries including 700 cinemas across the UK. War Horse is released for a limited six-week period as part of a slate of 11 National Theatre Live titles on offer in cinemas this autumn, which also includes Frankenstein, Coriolanus, Present Laughter, Fleabag and Cyrano de Bergerac.
The winner of more than 25 international awards, including the Tony Award® for Best Play on Broadway, War Horse, which has been seen by eight million people worldwide, is directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s remarkable story of courage, loyalty and friendship tells the 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 horses to life on stage.
At the outbreak of World War One, Albert’s beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France. Though still not old enough to enlist he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.
Lisa Burger, Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre said: ‘We are so pleased to be able to support our cinema partners during what continues to be an extremely difficult time for the industry. They have worked tirelessly to ensure safety is a priority but without content to broadcast and support from audiences they face a very tough future. War Horse is such an NT classic, showcasing the creativity and magic of theatre and we hope that the opportunity to watch it or the 10 other classic NT
Live titles we are broadcasting will encourage people to make a visit to their local cinema. Of the more than 700 UK cinemas showing NT Live, 400 of those are independent cinemas, which, along with local theatres, are often at the heart of communities. At a time when live performance is scarce and much missed due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we aim to continue to bring the best of British theatre to cinema audiences around the country.’
