War Horse issues tour casting update

The National Theatre has confirmed the cast for the remaining dates of the UK and Ireland tour of War Horse, which continues until 8 November 2025. The production returns on 10 July at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.

War Horse is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford, and was originally directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. The story follows Albert, a boy who sets out to find his horse Joey after it is sold to the cavalry at the outbreak of the First World War. The production features puppetry by Handspring Puppet Company.

The production premiered at the National Theatre on 9 October 2007 before opening at the New London Theatre in 2009. It has since played in over 100 cities across 14 countries, including on Broadway and in Toronto and Berlin.

Remaining tour venues include New Wimbledon Theatre from 5 to 16 August, Leeds Grand Theatre from 19 August to 6 September, Newcastle Theatre Royal from 10 to 20 September, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 2 to 11 October, Wales Millennium Centre from 15 to 25 October and Norwich Theatre Royal from 28 October to 8 November. Assisted performances are scheduled at each venue.

Danny Hendrix joins the company as Veterinary Officer Martin, with Clara Lioe as Emilie / Joey as a Foal and Christopher Naylor as Private Klausen / Priest.

They appear alongside (deep breath!) Rianna Ash (Joey/Topthorn Head), Alexander Ballinger (Captain Friedrich Müller / Allan), Eloise Beaumont-Wood (Joey as a Foal), Ike Bennett (David Taylor / Thomas Bone), Haydn Burke (Billy Narracott / Sergeant Klebb), Sophie Cartman (Matron Callaghan), Jo Castleton (Rose Narracott), Owen Dagnall (Alternate Albert Narracott / Geordie), Felicity Donnelly (Joey/Topthorn Hind), Tom Gilbey (Sergeant Fine and movement & puppetry captain), Thomas Goodridge (Joey/Topthorn Hind), Karl Haynes (Ted Narracott), Robin Hayward (Joey/Topthorn Heart), Michael Larcombe (Joey/Topthorn Hind), Matthew Lawrence (Joey/Topthorn Head), Madeleine Leslay (Paulette / Sarah Carter), Damian Lynch (Carter / Strauss), Lewis McBean (Joey/Topthorn Heart), Chris Milford (Joey/Topthorn Heart and co-fight captain), Jordan Paris (Joey as a Foal and co-fight captain), Anne-Marie Piazza (Nell Allan / Schnabel and song captain), Tea Poldervaart (Joey/Topthorn Head), Tom Quinn (Joey/Topthorn Head), Gareth Radcliffe (Arthur Narracott / Sergeant Thunder), Daniel Rock (Captain Stewart / Ludwig), Simon Stanhope (Manfred), Tom Sturgess (Albert Narracott), Gun Suen (Joey/Topthorn Hind), Sally Swanson (The Singer), Lucy Thorburn (Jenny Bone / Annie Gilbert), Chris Williams (Lieutenant Nicholls / Dr Schweyk and voice captain) and Rafe Young (Joey/Topthorn Heart).

The tour marks 110 years since the beginning of the First World War and the 40th anniversary of the novel’s publication. The creative team includes Tom Morris (creative development), Katie Henry (revival director), Rae Smith (reimagined designs), Adrian Sutton (additional music), Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company (puppet design and fabrication), Rob Casey (lighting design), Toby Sedgwick (movement and horse choreography), Matthew Forbes (puppet direction), Nicol Scott for 59 Productions (animation and projection design), John Tams (songmaker), Christopher Shutt (sound design), Jill Green (casting), William Fricker (associate designer), Johanna Coe (associate costume designer), Tom Turner (associate lighting designer), Charly Dunford (assistant lighting designer), Matthew Gough (music associate), Rob Bettle (associate sound designer), Raffaela Pancucci (associate sound designer), Dom Coyote (musical director), Paul Benzing (fight director), Carol Fairlamb (voice coach), Rebecca Daltry (dialect coach), Anna Marshall (associate director), Lewis Howard (assistant puppetry director), Samantha Adams (dramatherapist), Olivia Laydon and Tom Shiels (casting associates).