Plays Extend: West End War Horse, Court Empire

In Nick Stafford’s stage version of Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 children’s book, young Albert’s beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France during the First World War. Unable to forget Joey and still too young to enlist, the boy embarks on a treacherous mission to find the horse and bring him home.

The production is co-directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris and designed by Rae Smith, with lighting by Paule Constable, movement by Toby Sedgwick and music by Adrian Sutton.

The current West End cast is: Jacob Anderson, Matthew Aubrey, James Barriscale, Nigel Betts Andrew Bridgmont, Matthew Burgess, Emily Cooper, Vanessa Faye-Stanley, Matthew Forbes, Ross Green, David Grewcock, Robin Guiver, Stephen Harper, Nicolas Karimi, Sarah Mardel, Jess Murphy, Eamonn O’Dwyer, Toby OIie, David Ononokpono, Ian Piears, Malcolm Ridley, Ruth Rogers, William Rycroft, Abdul Salis, Rachel Sanders, Anthony Shuster, Perri Snowden, Ben Thompson, Zubin Varla, Andy Williams and Thomas Wilton.

At the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, DC Moore’s The Empire has extended by a week, and will now finish on 8 May 2010.

The Empire is Moore’s second play, following his 2007 Upstairs play Alaska. Set in Helmand, it centres on a British soldier and his Afghan colleague who have different approaches to guarding an injured prisoner.

Former Bush artistic director Mike Bradwell directs a cast including Josef Altin, Joe Armstrong, Imran Khan, Nav Sidhu and Rufus Wright.