Features

A week in the life: War Horse actor Nick Hart

Ever wondered what it would be like to be in control of Joey? Wonder no more as we take a look behind the scenes with Nick Hart

Ben Hewis
London London's West End

Having trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, Nick is making his West End debut as the head of one of the most famous horses in the world, Joey in War Horse. We caught up with him to see what its like playing such a different role.

Today we have our final camera rehearsal for the National Theatre Live production of War Horse, broadcast live from the West End to cinemas worldwide. My bag is full of food, and, if you look carefully, you'll see that I can never escape Joey's watchful eye…

I've arrived at the New London Theatre in Drury Lane to find broadcast vans have already set up camp ahead of tomorrow night's live performance.

The stage preset is well under way ahead of our camera rehearsal. There will be no audience present for this particular performance: instead, six ultra-high definition cameras are perched in the auditorium waiting to shoot. Is that barbed wire onstage…?

A War Horse, warm up favourite is 'bally', also known as 'nine square'.

This is followed by strengthening and stretching. We have two sessions of pilates a week, in addition to regular warm-ups, all lead by our wonderful, resident physiotherapists.

Here I am in my dressing room waiting for our beginner's call. I am in 'villager' dress, my first costume for the opening scene of the play.

Ben Murray, ladies and gentlemen, one of the song men for War Horse, sporting his brand new IEM (inner ear monitor). This IEM plays a count in his ear during the performance, to help him coordinate his singing with backing tracks.

It's the interval of our final camera rehearsal and we're all a little bit sweaty… Here I am with my fellow Joey teammates, Andrew London and Sam Wilmott, who puppeteer the Heart and Hind of Joey respectively.

That concludes our final camera rehearsal. Joey walks back to the stable to get some well-earned rest ahead of tomorrow night's live performance, when people all around the world will be watching him.

Pieter Lawman, a War Horse legend and original, is leaving us this week. He was in the original run at the National Theatre and returned a year and a half ago to have a go at the West End version. Here he is with his show tally.

We're all on our way to an after party for NT Live and Josie Walker (Rose) and Emma Thornett (Joey as a foal / Paulette) are enjoying a little tipple before leaving.

War Horse continues at the New London Theatre.