Bronwyn Fullerton

War Horse

WARHORSEThe magnificent play, WAR HORSE, takes us along on a mesmerising journey of compassion, grief, love and cruelty.

The 32 scenes which structure the play begin in August 1912, in Devon, England and travel through Calais, France in 1915, the Somme valley in 1916 and finish back in Devon in November 1918.  It is not a play about war, but about survival.

The protagonist, Joey, is not only a horse, but a puppet, which  must be seen and experienced on stage to realise its full impact.  Three puppeteers operate Joey, (and the other horses) who becomes so life-like, that you forget the puppeteers are there.  Joey’s head, in particular, expresses his shyness, fear, pride and joy through endearing, piercing eyes.

Created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company (with Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler), the horses are strong enough for men to ride and “bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to life on stage.  They traverse the stage, their flanks, hides and sinews built of steel, leather and aircraft cables”.  The movement and horse choreography has been brilliantly created by Toby Sedgwick.

Joey is the horse of a boy named Albert, played with great warmth and humour by Cody Fenn.  Much to Albert’s dismay, his father sells Joey to the cavalry at the outbreak of World War 1 and he is shipped to France.  Albert begins a quest to reunite with Joey, taking him to the battlefields of France.

The set, designed by Rae Smith, is clever, elegant and sparse.  The actors hold wooden railings to form horse-yards and an ocean liner, whilst the above graphics and video (Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer) represent the land through which the horses gallop and the explosions of war.  Wonderful English ballads are sung throughout the play, accompanied by piano accordion.

The play defies clichés about war, concentrating on relationships that are formed under such bleak circumstances.

The vulnerability prevalent in animals, is the centre of this emotional tug of war.

WAR HORSE is definitely not to be missed.  It runs at the Lyric Theatre, Star City, Sydney, until Sunday 12th May, 2013.

© Bronwyn Fullerton

Published by Bronwyn Fullerton

Bronwyn Fullerton worked as an actress and singer for over 20 years after training with Hayes Gordon at The Ensemble Theatre Studios in Sydney in the 70s. She has worked for The Ensemble Theatre, Stables Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Theatre-in-Education touring, Rocks Theatre at The Sailor’s Home, Balmain Loft, North Coast Theatre Co., Giniby Theatre Co., Bondi Pavilion Theatre and two years with the Marionette Theatre of Australia, including a tour from Alice Springs to Arnhem Land. As well as Film and Television (Chopper Squad) and Voice Overs, Bronwyn worked for the Gate Theatre Club in London and studied mime in Paris. She now teaches ESL English to foreign students and completed a Post-Grad in Film & Video at UTS in 2009/10.