War Horse trots out magic on Toronto stage
Packs an emotional and aesthetic wallop
TORONTO – War Horse begins, like a children’s play, with a woman singing a plaintive song about being remembered for the deeds that we’ve done. She hands a book to a soldier seated on the edge of the stage. Birds can be heard, and seen, flying on poles held by puppet manipulators. Suddenly, the starring horse makes his first appearance as a puppet foal. He’s adorable. We’re ready to follow him anywhere, even through the carnage of the First World War.
When the Canadian production of this tale of a boy, his horse and the horrors of the Great War that divided them opened at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto on Tuesday night, there was a Montrealstyle standing ovation and nary a dry eye in the house.
Having seen the American production at the Lincoln Center in New York, where it won multiple Tony awards, I wanted to know if Toronto’s was comparable. It is. The most noticeable difference, other than the actors, is that the Princess of Wales stage is a proscenium, which frames the action, while in New York there’s a more intimate three-quarter round stage.
Also, War Horse seems to touch a special chord here. Perhaps because so many Canadians (about 67,000) were lost in that conflict, fighting heroically in battles like Vimy Ridge. Our national identity took root then, like the poppies in Flan- ders Fields.
War Horse has the appeal of an anthem, and the familiarity of a family story about a heroic grandfather or great-uncle who never came home. In my case, it was my father who served in the First World War. Happily, he did come home. Or I would not have been born. The mere sight of a man in a WWI uniform can bring on tears. Throw in a wounded horse, and I’m done.
Beyond connecting emotionally with War Horse, I have been bowled over twice by the artistry of this folky, grassroots piece. The horse puppets created by the South African-based Handspring Puppet Company are amazing – intricately wrought, complicated to animate, but incredibly lifelike. And the manner in which traditional songs are deftly woven into the narrative is masterful, as well as uplifting. (Sweet-voiced Melanie Doane, who also plays the violin, delivers most of the songs a cappella here.)
The wonder of War Horse is as much about how the production is accomplished as it is about the lure of a yarn that refuses to let us go. Drawings projected on an overhead screen shaped like a page torn out of a sketchbook enrich the visual-arts dimension as they set the scenes.
The Canadian production of this drama with music, adapted by Nick Stafford from a novel by Michael Morpurgo, has a fine cast. Most of the actors, such as Concordia University grad Ryan Hollyman (who is memorable as the gruff Sgt. Fine), perform multiple roles and participate in the manipulation as well. This makes it difficult to gauge individual performances. The ensemble, however, is strong, with gusts to sublime when they sing as a chorus.
In the principal role of Albert, the farm boy who follows his horse Joey into the war, the charismatic Alex Furber (a recent National Theatre School graduate) keeps us on his side for the duration. He and former Montrealer Patrick Kwok-choon strike a solid rapport during their buddy scene in the trenches.
Brad Rudy, as Albert’s drunken father who sells his son’s horse to the army after promising he wouldn’t, ably walks a fine line between bad guy and forgivably flawed dad. Tamara Bernier-evans is credible as the stoic, rural Devon mother who has to play peacemaker between father and son.
Overall, the live War Horse far surpasses the film adaptation, which leans toward the Disneyesque. (Director Steven Spielberg scores points for his handling of the scene wherein soldiers from opposite camps free the horse entangled in barbed wire. But the film over-sentimentalizes the subplot about the little French girl, Emilie, poignantly played at the Princess of Wales by Addison Holley. )
While this Canadian War Horse is a must, it’s not worth the $567 Saturday night ticket price that some unauthorized sites are demanding online. Best to deal directly with Mirvish Productions at the website given below. Or to wait, patiently, for the show’s arrival in Montreal – which will indeed happen, only not soon.
War Horse continues at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto until June 30. Tickets range from $49 to $150. Call 1-800-461-3333 or visit mirvish.com.