A FINE BIT OF HORSE PLAY THAT WOWED SPIELBERG
Michael Morpurgo on his stage success
ACCLAIMED children’s author Michael Morpurgo has been delighting people with his captivating and magical writing for decades. His most successful novel War Horse is poised to celebrate its 12th anniversary as a stage production and speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday the author says that the book was unheralded for years before it reached its critical acclaim and global fame.
‘I could never have imagined it. It’s an incredible piece of luck. The book was languishing on my backlist, just ticking over, selling about 1,000 copies a year, until the wonderful National Theatre decided to make it into a play and not just any play. It is the most wonderful piece of theatre using puppetry and inspired dramatisation.
‘Then Spielberg came along and made a moving, memorable film. And now 10 years on Joey is trotting out again with the National Theatre on another UK and world tour.’
War Horse tells the story of the love between a boy and his horse and Morpurgo attributes the age old tales of love, friendship and hope that has made the book and play such a global success.
‘I think it has something to do with the love between Albert and Joey. We live with them in both the book and the play, willing them to survive, to find one another again. I wanted to write about hope and there is hope in the play too. There is always hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart.’
Indeed such is the success of the theatrical production of War Horse that is set to trotter out again at
Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre this month.
And Morpugo says he delights in knowing audiences pitch up at theatres around the world to see his play.
‘It’s wonderful to see people all ages coming to see War Horse and their different reactions to the play. I love seeing my stories in another art form whether plays, film or music. It’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time. I know that I have been very lucky to have my books turned into some wonderful plays... It certainly has given my writing another dimension. I feel more and more that my writing is bound up in performance in some way.’
Morpurgo said he is looking forward to the production of War Horse coming back to Ireland as it holds a special place in his heart. ‘We have many dear friends and great memories of times in Ireland with close friends and family. Our son was also at Trinity College in Dublin.’
As a former children’s laureate, writing and prose stream thorough Morpurgo’s blood and he says that despite the advent of social media, children and adults will always love storytelling through words and pictures on page. ‘Children will always love stories. There are many more distractions now to reading with social media and lack of time, but stories, whether film or theatre or books will always be there.’
Warhorse is at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from April 10-27.
‘There is always hope ...because I am an optimist at heart’