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War Horse Tickets

The emotional, epic war story and theatrical marvel of puppetry returns to the stage.

4.8 643 reviews from 643 verified reviews

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War Horse in London

Twenty years after its world premiere, the legendary production of War Horse makes a triumphant return to the National Theatre from 16th May 2026, for a strictly limited season. Witness the heartwarming, epic story of young Albert and his beloved horse Joey during the horrors of the First World War, brought to jaw-dropping life by hyper-realistic life-sized puppets.

Why you should watch War Horse

From the original children’s story to the critically acclaimed 2011 film to the award-winning stage play, War Horse has won hearts all over the world with its epic, heartwarming story of friendship, loyalty, and the unbreakable bond between a boy and his horse.
Jaw-dropping and masterful puppets from Handspring Puppet Company bring the play’s horses to stunning life - galloping and charging across the stage and fully immersing you into the world of War Horse.
With a thrilling story, incredible special effects, and powerful themes, this is the perfect show for audiences of all ages, every bit as relevant and moving as it was twenty years ago.

What is War Horse about?

Based on a children's story by the former children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo, War Horse is set during the First World War, where Albert's beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the cavalry and transported by sea to the battlefields of France. Albert isn't old enough to enlist in the army. But he simply cannot forget his beloved friend. So he starts off on a dramatic mission across war-torn, ruined French landscapes to find Joey. It's a story that underlines the value of friendship and loyalty as well as highlighting the love, respect and trust that can develop between humans and their companion animals.

War Horse has won hearts across all ages for its emotional story of friendship and war, as well as the amazingly lifelike puppets from Handspring Puppet Company that bring the play's life-sized horses to life with breathtaking realism. The show's immense success has won it two Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards. Now, this sold-out West End marvel returns to the National Theatre twenty years after its world premiere, so don't miss your choice to catch this epic, heartwarming story onstage once again. Praised as a “theatrical tour de force” by The Times, this is the perfect magical theatre show for children and adults alike.

Book now and prepare to be swept away into an epic, heartfelt story that has thrilled and delighted audiences for twenty years.

War Horse Official Theatre Tickets

Our central reservation system connects you directly to the Olivier - National Theatre box office system. We provide live & full availability for War Horse tickets, from VIP and premium, to top price and discount tickets, helping you choose the perfect tickets for your budget. Pick your seats from our interactive seating plan and get your theatre tickets emailed to you instantly after your booking. Simply present your e-tickets at the door on the day and experience what London & the West End have best to offer: the magic of theatre. Buying tickets for War Horse has never been easier.

War Horse Ticket Information

Booking until:

Thursday, 30 July 2026
Running time:

2hr 45min. Incl. Interval.
Age restrictions
Ages 10+.
Important Information
This production contains loud sound effects, flashing lights and strobe lighting.
Cancellations & Refunds
Once booked, tickets to War Horse are usually non exchangeable and non refundable as per our terms & conditions. In practice, however, we will do our best to accommodate your request as long as we are notified at least 48 hours before the performance. Please contact us for more information.

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War Horse reviews

4.8 out of 5 643 reviews

What to expect:

Acting
Music
Costumes
Story
Lighting

Recommended for:
Families (86%)
Teenagers (87%)
Couples (90%)
Theatregoers (95%)

Latest customer reviews

All reviews are from customers who have been invited to leave a review just after seeing War Horse.

verified

Excellent show , the horse teams were excellent, the singing and acting very good. Throughly enjoyed

C Reviewed on 31 July 2026 by Caroline Anne
United Kingdom

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Extraordinary

J Reviewed on 27 July 2026 by Julie
United Kingdom

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Excellent show. Very emotional

J Reviewed on 26 July 2026 by Jane
United Kingdom

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So moving

G Reviewed on 25 July 2026 by Ginny
United Kingdom

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It was a GREAT SHOW To Watch WOULD GO again GREAT SEATS😆

W Reviewed on 25 July 2026 by William
United Kingdom

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Brilliant

N Reviewed on 25 July 2026 by Nicola
United Kingdom

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Definitely a must see.

The puppetry was absolutely amazing as well as the actors.

M Reviewed on 23 July 2026 by Marcia
United Kingdom

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Magnificent

The most amazing performance enjoyed by a 79 and a 13 year old. A great family outing. Thankyou.

A Reviewed on 23 July 2026 by Angela
United Kingdom

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The horses were beautifully done.

C Reviewed on 22 July 2026 by Carole
United Kingdom

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Fantastic experience.

The cast was brilliant and engaging. The puppeteers were amazing and worked so well to bring their characters to life. A great night was had by all.

A Reviewed on 22 July 2026 by Anne
United Kingdom

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A wonderful, moving, creative show.

The show was an excellent way to remind us of the horrors that people & their animals endured during the 1st world war. It would be a special way to teach young people a history lesson. It is a wonderful story, about the very moving relationship between a young man & his horse. The sounds during the war scenes are very sound & powerful. We loved it

J Reviewed on 22 July 2026 by Judith
United Kingdom

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Amazing

So clever and so spellbinding from beginning to end.

M Reviewed on 22 July 2026 by Murray
Australia

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What an amazing experience

The whole production was one of delight. The acting, singing stage production and of course the puppetry were first rate. The ‘torn strip’ was a brilliant way to bring in additional visuals to enhance the storyline. Congratulations to all involved in this production you receive our highest praise and a wonderful treat for our 55th wedding anniversary. Whilst we shall recommend this production to all our friends and family we would suggest that children not in secondary education may find some of the scenes a little bit too upsetting/ challenging. Just something for parents to be aware of - it is not just a nice story about a boy and his horse! It is however wonderful piece of literature and adaptation. With horses one forgot were not real! Thank you again. Alan & Chris Scutt

A Reviewed on 21 July 2026 by Alan
United Kingdom

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Stunning

Fabulous performance, horses and puppeteers were amazing.

A Reviewed on 20 July 2026 by Anne
United Kingdom

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Exceptional

C Reviewed on 19 July 2026 by Christina
Greece

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Just as amazing 20ys on. Fantastic

P Reviewed on 18 July 2026 by Philip
South Africa

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Fantastic - must see

We loved everything about this show. Although we had seen it about 17 years ago it has had a1 fantastic run. It was still fresh and we are very glad that we managed to get some last minute tickets. Must rate as one of the best shows we have ever seen.

T Reviewed on 17 July 2026 by Tricia
United Kingdom

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Outstanding

Absolutely brilliant show from start to finish a must see at least once

R Reviewed on 16 July 2026 by Robin
United Kingdom

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Fabulous

A Reviewed on 14 July 2026 by Andrea
United Kingdom

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Certainly a must see

First time I’ve ever seen Warhorse and it was just wonderful, the emotion was so gripping, k thoroughly enjoyed it! Especially the man playing Albert, he is exceptionally good.

M Reviewed on 13 July 2026 by Megan
United Kingdom

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Excellent, but not as moving as the first run.

I had seen this many years ago in London - before my children (now 11 and 14) were born maybe! I took them to see this performance and was disappointed by how unmoving it was.

A Reviewed on 11 July 2026 by Adam
United Kingdom

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War Horse

V Reviewed on 11 July 2026 by Vanessa
United Kingdom

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Total Magic!

The production was top notch - props and lighting effects were outstanding. A real treat!

B Reviewed on 09 July 2026 by Bridget
United Kingdom

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Warhorse

The show was absolutely amazing, the acting was super, the story was exactly the same as the film.

C Reviewed on 08 July 2026 by Carol
United Kingdom

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War horse - A spectactular and humanitarian performance

War horse was an absolutely performance, the characters brought emotion into every role, the horss puppetering and scene tranistioning was spectacular. All characters,set an example for how acting range can convey total emotion. The script was well conveyed, and knew when and when not to tug at heart strings, or cause a wave of laughter. Personally the show excelled at conveying the humantiarian aspects in war, where men are pitted against eachother not because of anger, but for love of what they hold dear(Joey in our protagonists case). The only minor nitpick is that show excessively tries to demonstrates who the antagonists are which comes accross as somewhat comical in certain areas that draws away from the shows beautiful narrative, yet this gripe certainly does not lie with the performances from the superb cast themselfs. Overall i would highly recommend people watch this show.

M Reviewed on 06 July 2026 by Megan
United Kingdom

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Wonderful production with heartening message

The combination of acting and screen projection was brilliant. Those horses were very real. There was humour and humanity.

P Reviewed on 06 July 2026 by Peter
United Kingdom

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Mind blowing

The puppetry is unlike anything I’ve seen . Just when you think you’ve seen it all ….. keeping it raw with no microphones and the actors speaking / singing / dancing was great . Albert was exceptional !

P Reviewed on 05 July 2026 by Prithviraj
United Kingdom

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An amazing show!

The story is brought wonderfully alive on stage by the magnificent mechanics of the puppetry and overall staging. It is really astonishingly sensitive and powerfully emotional through the amazing expertise of all involved. Just brilliant.

M Reviewed on 02 July 2026 by Meg
United Kingdom

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The best thing I've ever seen 😍

J Reviewed on 29 June 2026 by Jane
United Kingdom

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Amazing experience - I was transported back in time

Loved the show, perfect setting, staff are great. All round amazing experience - so worth the money. Loved my seat - E4, as was by myself.

S Reviewed on 28 June 2026 by Susan
United Kingdom

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Don’t miss this show-heartwarming

A Reviewed on 26 June 2026 by Anne
United Kingdom

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Amazing production-very emotional

Funny sad great story and fabulous production

E Reviewed on 25 June 2026 by Elaine
United Kingdom

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Joey the war horse

I heard lots of people leaving the auditorium saying they really enjoyed the show and I really wanted this play to be in my top 5 but I came away feeling deflated. The story is entertaining and the costumes cheerfully different but the actors in joey let it down. Joey legs had lost their flow and often left dangling in the air... the black horse was played wonderfully. I found it rather distracting and unfortunately couldn't connect with joey at all. Sadly not a play I would see again.

L Reviewed on 25 June 2026 by Leigh-ann
United Kingdom

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It was an excellent show

We would recommend going to this show. The workings of the horses were incredible and the whole performance excellent

L Reviewed on 23 June 2026 by Lyla
United Kingdom

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Animals in war story during WW1

Having read warhorse a number of times including with my children, this performace added to the the emotional quotient in engagement and brought insights of how this man animal relationship shaped previous generations. I was thoughtful what the performance brought me into modern warfare of drones and missiles, which look as games people play but the suffering th the ground for real people and animals is devastating.

V Reviewed on 18 June 2026 by Varsha
United Kingdom

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Brilliant

H Reviewed on 18 June 2026 by Heike
United Kingdom

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Absolutely wonderful. Would see it again

The nearer to the stage you sit,the more details you can see on the puppets and the expressions of the puppeteers when they make the amazing life-like animal sounds

R Reviewed on 17 June 2026 by Roxana
Cyprus

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A Must See

This is the second time I have seen War Horse and it is as compelling as ever. The National Theatre’s production is stellar. From early one we fall straight into the conceit that this horse is a real, feeling, sensitive spirit. And this is as we are watching the puppeteers work their magic. They are masters of their craft and the horses’ heads are beautifully rendered. The show is over two and a half hours long, but it doesn’t feel like it. Both visual and sound effects are stunning and place the viewer squarely in the hideous, wasteful calamity of the war. The audience roots for both man and horse to the very climax. This is an unforgettable production in every way and the venue is perfect.

N Reviewed on 17 June 2026 by Nancy
Canada

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Dramatic

Great staging and lighting, moments of great drama, very good seats.,

R Reviewed on 16 June 2026 by Rebecca
United Kingdom

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War Horse

K Reviewed on 13 June 2026 by Keith
United States Of America

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A powerful production of an old favourite

I enjoyed the production immensely though I felt that it could have benefitted from some editing of the longer scenes

J Reviewed on 10 June 2026 by Jo
United Kingdom

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Amazing show

Amazing. Incredible puppetry to bring the horses to life. Very emotional depiction of this incredible story.

B Reviewed on 09 June 2026 by Bryony
United Kingdom

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Best show ever!

This show “War Horse” will be one of your favorites for years to come. This was my 3rd time seeing it. The way they use the horses makes you believe they are real animals. Do not hesitate to see it!

R Reviewed on 09 June 2026 by Robin
United States Of America

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Fantastic

It was the best theatre I have ever seen! So emotional! Loved it!

J Reviewed on 08 June 2026 by Jordis Rebecca
Germany

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Amazing

L Reviewed on 06 June 2026 by Lesley
United Kingdom

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Very special

We came from The Netherlands to see The show and it was worth it!

E Reviewed on 01 June 2026 by Elvira
Netherlands

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Amazing and emotionally charged performance

Outstanding performance by every actor involved in this show. Production was faultless. Emotionally intense so would not recommend vommend for small children

S Reviewed on 31 May 2026 by Sue
United Kingdom

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Ceative masterpiece.

Loved this show. Heavier than I expected, it was very moving. Stunning and creative.

S Reviewed on 30 May 2026 by Suzanne
United Kingdom

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It was a bit “heavy “ in places probably wasn’t expecting that. I was quite amazed at the amount of young children there. Guess I’m just getting old😂

G Reviewed on 28 May 2026 by Gillian
United Kingdom

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Not to be missed

Couldn’t believe how real the horses were, loved the show

P Reviewed on 28 May 2026 by Patricia
Zambia

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Amazing

J Reviewed on 26 May 2026 by Jan
United States Of America

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war horse: the beauty

an extraordinary show! everything excellent!

P Reviewed on 26 May 2026 by Paola Alessia
Italy

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A must see for all

N Reviewed on 21 May 2026 by Nicky
United Kingdom

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Outstanding and raw performance

K Reviewed on 05 August 2025 by Ksp
United Kingdom

Please note the reviews below are from an old production of War Horse.

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Stunning and a spectacular staging

Horses looked real, their movements, gestures and facial expressions were incredibly well done. Furthermore, sound and lighting during the battles were impressive. I enjoyed the performance a lot.Congratulations to all the company. One advice I would give to families would be not to go with children around 5 years old because the strong sound of the shoots can make the children feel frightened.

R Reviewed on 22 November 2019 by Rebeca
Spain

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Moving and great acting and creativity

Very moving and thought provoking; spectacular creativity with horses; so natural and researched - you forget the horse are 'nor real'; amazing passion shown by Albert - extremely well acted! Standing Ovation.

B Reviewed on 25 October 2019 by Bj
United Kingdom

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Looking forward to seeing it again on tour 2017!

We all loved this show, it was great for my teenage sons. The skill of the puppet masters was amazing. Looking forward to seeing it again when the tour starts next year.

R Reviewed on 15 March 2016 by Rachel
United Kingdom

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Loved it

Absolutely brilliant show!

K Reviewed on 11 March 2016 by Katy
United Kingdom

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magical and emotional

V Reviewed on 05 March 2016 by Venetia
United Kingdom

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amazing

S Reviewed on 27 February 2016 by Samantha
United Kingdom

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Fantastic

J Reviewed on 21 February 2016 by Julien
United Kingdom

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Brilliant!

S Reviewed on 20 February 2016 by Sophie
United Kingdom

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Absolutely Fantastic

This show was fantastic, the acting was amazing. A captivating story, funny in places and sad in other. A real entertaining show. The animatronics were out of this world.

K Reviewed on 18 February 2016 by Karen
United Kingdom

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Fantastic

So happy we were able to see this before the end of it's run.

A Reviewed on 13 February 2016 by Antony
United Kingdom

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Must see show very humbling

Excellent show, suitable for all the family. Very poignant to those who love horses and anyone who has family connections to the first world war.

P Reviewed on 11 February 2016 by Paul
United Kingdom

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Hero's with a difference.

war horse was a Christmas gift to my friend so I tagged along, I had seen the film so I thought I would enjoy the show also. From the very start I was drawn into the performance by the brilliant skills of the actors who appeared well cast for their part, those actors demonstrating the horses were amazing and you really saw them as horses, brilliant. A very moving and thought provoking show and definitely one I would recommend. However I did think some members of the audience were a bit too young to watch it, mainly due to sudden loud bangs and distracting the audience. Overall, excellent.

L Reviewed on 11 February 2016 by Linda
United Kingdom

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See it before it ends

M Reviewed on 03 February 2016 by Mary
United Kingdom

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Fabulous

Really enjoyed the show. We got cheaper tickets at side of the stage but very close to the stage. the choreography, costumes, acting, puppetry and the singing was amazing. The horses were very lifelike. Nothing I didn't like!

J Reviewed on 01 February 2016 by Jackie
Ireland

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a story with history

AWell put together show that is for every one shame it has to end

S Reviewed on 31 January 2016 by Susan
United Kingdom

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Fantastic show

Thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully portraying the heart wrenching story and loved the little hints of humour within. Very clever and believable. Loved it!

D Reviewed on 30 January 2016 by Doreen
United Kingdom

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wonderfull

C Reviewed on 28 January 2016 by Cameron
United Kingdom

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Brilliant

B Reviewed on 26 January 2016 by Bryan
United Kingdom

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Emotional, Moving, Captivating, Insperational, Excellent

War Horse was an excellent show. All the cast were brilliant. How do they move those horses so well? The horses movements are soooo life like. I was mesmerized by them. As must watch.

D Reviewed on 25 January 2016 by Debbie
United Kingdom

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A masterpiece not to be missed!

K Reviewed on 24 January 2016 by Kathleen
United Kingdom

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Simply Brilliant

C Reviewed on 22 January 2016 by Carl
United Kingdom

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phenomenal.

B Reviewed on 17 January 2016 by Ben
United Kingdom

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Great puppetry.

It's amazing to see such life in a wooden horse. The actors even ride the puppets which I found particularly astounding. Well worth seeing for the technical achievement even if the storey is just a little sentimental.

J Reviewed on 16 January 2016 by Jacob
Belgium

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Moving and uplifting

Fantastic realistic movements by the people operating the horses. Singing music and special effects great.

C Reviewed on 16 January 2016 by Catherine
United Kingdom

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Moving

E Reviewed on 10 January 2016 by Elizabeth
United Kingdom

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Mesmerising

Best show I've ever seen was gripped from the beginning to end. The animals were incredible and you felt like you were part of the story it was so realistic and atmospheric. Everyone should see this.

S Reviewed on 07 January 2016 by Susan
United Kingdom

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Lose yourself in the Story

Words can not say how magical this show was, despite the story matter. You forget the amazing puppetry believing the horses and goose are real. Well done to all the actors and staff involved.

D Reviewed on 07 January 2016 by Debra
United Kingdom

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Amazing choreography and staging. Met all my expectations

S Reviewed on 06 January 2016 by Stephanie
United Kingdom

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Must see

Bought tickets for my parents as a present and they loved it. The horse puppets were amazing. They really enjoyed it.

K Reviewed on 04 January 2016 by Karolina
United Kingdom

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Great but not my taste

A great story and an excellent show. But not my taste because I want to see a 'real' opera rather than a drama.

D Reviewed on 03 January 2016 by Daihui
China

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war horse at perfection

I thought that the show was brilliant. The actors had the west country accent spot on and as we are Cornish, we are the best judges of that. Its a shame that its closing down. The horses seemed so real, very emotional, I loved it.

G Reviewed on 01 January 2016 by Gloria
United Kingdom

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Best show I've ever seen!

This was an amazing show. The performers were superb and the movement of the horses was faultless. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the whole thing and haven't stopped talking about it since I got home.

D Reviewed on 30 December 2015 by Denise
United Kingdom

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surprisingly good

What I liked the most is the brilliant acting performance by lead actor who played Albert. He had good connection with Joey and brought the character into life

Q Reviewed on 30 December 2015 by Quoc Khanh
United Kingdom

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Exciting, highly recommend

Definately advise anyone and everyone to watch this. Everyone will love it.

H Reviewed on 23 December 2015 by Holly
United Kingdom

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a unique theatrical experience

M Reviewed on 22 December 2015 by Mark
United Kingdom

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Great story with lots of improvisation!

Some of the props that were used were unimaginable and very fascinating! The storyline was great and overall a wonderful production. Acting was amazing. Great for WW1 historians and generally any other history lovers.

H Reviewed on 21 December 2015 by Huzefa
United Kingdom

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Great show!

J Reviewed on 19 December 2015 by John
United Kingdom

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Very creative puppetry and excellent story, very well presneted

B Reviewed on 17 December 2015 by Bruce
United Kingdom

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Fantastic job

M Reviewed on 16 December 2015 by Mary
United Kingdom

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Brilliant - a must see

A Reviewed on 14 December 2015 by Albert
Gibraltar

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wonderful storey the horse was real

The show was wonderful.During the first few minutes you are aware that men are carrying the horse then the horse Joey becomes alive.Watch out for the goose she gets a great clap at the end. It's the best show in London.

B Reviewed on 14 December 2015 by Brian
United Kingdom

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amazing, poignant, memorable, a great portrayal of the war

P Reviewed on 12 December 2015 by Patricia
United Kingdom

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Fantastic

Great evening out thoroughly recommended

D Reviewed on 09 December 2015 by Dennis
United Kingdom

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Amazing!

We have been to most of the major shows in London but for us this is right at the top. Incredible, emotional and breathtaking!

C Reviewed on 06 December 2015 by Chris
United Kingdom

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Excellent show!

Excellent show and definately a must see for anyone who loves theatre. The seats were amazing and you really felt in the midst of it all with the actors walking around the seats!

R Reviewed on 04 December 2015 by Rachel
United Kingdom

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Clever

K Reviewed on 30 November 2015 by Karin
Australia