The Olivier-winning production of “War Horse” hopes to rein in some Tony Awards this season. Adapted from the 1982 best-seller by Michael Morpurgo, this epic stage version tells the tale of a young English farmhand who enlists during WW I in hopes of finding his beloved colt who has been sold to the cavalry.
Four of the creative forces responsible for the transfer from the National Theater will take part in the Platform Series at the non-profit Lincoln Center Theater. The discussions will be held in the Vivian Beaumont lobby prior to two evening performances.
On April 6, Handspring Puppet Company founders and puppet creators Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler will discuss creating the life-sized equestrian representations used in the play; the pair shared in the 2007 Olivier for Best Set Design with Rae Smith. And on April 13, Morpurgo joins co-directors Marianne Elliot and Tom Morris to discuss their adaptation of his novel. The following night, “War Horse” officially opens after a month of previews that kicked off on Tuesday.
This Christmas, Steven Spielberg‘s film version of “War Horse” arrives. Oscar nominees RIchard Curtis (“Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Lee Hall (“Billy Elliot”) adapted the Whitbread runner-up. Newcomer Jeremy Irvine plays the boy with two-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson and Peter Mullans as his parents, and Benedict Cumberbatch as an army officer.
