How War Horse revolutionised the use of puppetry in theatre

War Horse took theatre audiences by storm in 2007, when the production first opened in the National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre. The production returned to the National in 2008 and then transferred to the New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne Theatre) in the West End in 2009, where it played until 2016.

The production has toured internationally, including to Broadway and a U.S Tour, Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and China. It has been seen by over eight million people and has also gripped cinema audiences in its NT Live broadcasts in the UK and overseas. Film director Steven Spielberg was so moved by the production that he adapted the novel into a film in 2011.

The play has had a significant impact on the use of puppetry in mainstream theatre. Audiences may have seen Disney’s The Lion King, which opened in London in 1999, but War Horse presented an important story about the futility and universal suffering of war, through the relationship between a farm boy and his horse.

It’s not unusual to see puppetry in theatre performances now. One particularly successful production is the 2021 adaptation of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, which played in the West End, on Broadway and on tour, and the puppeteers won Olivier Awards for Best Supporting Actor – the first time in the Oliviers’ history that this has happened.

Other productions that have used puppets include the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, an adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, and adaptations of two Studio Ghibli movies: the RSC production of My Neighbour Totoro, and the international production of Spirited Away. Fans of these films have shown great enthusiasm for seeing their favourite characters interpreted in puppet form.

Matt Forbes, Puppetry Director, tells us that: ‘War Horse really set the tone, and made puppetry a much more mainstream art form. It’s no longer simply something that happens at the end of the pier, or something that’s just for kids. Rather, it’s a really wonderful and well-respected global art form.’

Joey has become an iconic image connected with both the National Theatre and with remembrance of the First World War. He has been seen at the annual Festival of Remembrance (often with Michael Morpurgo and/or John Tams), at the Tower of London seeing the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red poppies installation in 2014. Joey also showed his own loyalty to Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.

Puppetry is also on the global stage, with two recent international events. The first is Walk with Amal, which centres on a 12-foot puppet named Little Amal – a 10-year-old Syrian refugee. You can follow her journey, The Walk, on the website link above. From Adelaide to Amsterdam, Turkey to Toronto, Little Amal has raised the profile of refugees and migrants across the planet in a way which combines the power of theatre and the power of community to create positive change.

In 2025, The Herds have been drawing attention to climate disaster as “huge herds of life-size puppet animals will invade city centres on a 20,000km route from Central Africa to Norway, fleeing to escape climate disaster.” The project involves the same team as Little Amal (The Walk Productions), and once again Handspring are overseeing the project. Wimbledon School of Art (part of University of the Arts, London) have been involved in building the puppets, out of recycled materials.

Puppetry involves a ‘contract’ between the audience and the puppeteer – the agreement that we will suspend our disbelief and join in the game of imagining that these are real, living and breathing animals or people. However, War Horse has proved that puppetry has the power to inspire such great emotion and commitment from the audience that it goes beyond the two-hour theatre performance. Instead, it has brought vital themes and issues to our attention that are as pertinent now as they were over 100 years ago.

The puppets in War Horse were designed and built by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of Handspring Puppet Company. Adrian and Basil were involved from the very beginning of the creative process and were part of the research and development (R&D) before rehearsals started.

There are 23 puppets in the production, including horses Joey, Topthorn and Joey as foal, a goose, swallows and crows. It takes 8 months to build a complete set of puppets – they are handmade by 14 craftspeople. The finished horse puppets weigh approximately 43 kilos for the body, including the puppeteers’ backpacks, and another 7.7 kilos for the head. They are made of cane, leather and tyvec – a material used in book-binding – for the manes and tails. The torso is reinforced with aluminium and able to carry a rider on top. Joey, Topthorn, and Joey as a foal are each operated by three puppeteers – the Head, the Heart and the Hind. The team of puppeteers work together to create the character of each horse and to produce the horse noises.

Puppeteers train for 8 weeks before they begin performing – this includes 2 weeks of puppetry rehearsals before rehearsing with the full company. Working with the creative team, including Toby Sedgwick (Director of Movement and Horse Choreography) and Matthew Forbes (Puppetry Director), they are taught the basic principles of puppetry, shown how to operate the puppet smoothly and to coordinate their individual movements, how to mimic the characteristics of a horse and animate the horse with subtle gestures such as flicking the tail and ears, and how to create the appearance that the horse is breathing by making slight rhythmic movements that express life.

War Horse plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Wed 10 – Sat 20 Sep 2025.  For tickets, and to check best availability, visit: theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/war-horse-2/