Stage Directions
by Richard Lane
Joey makes first visit to Stoke-on-Trent
to launch visit of War Horse in 2014
oey, the life-size equine puppet from War
Horse, made a special early morning
appearance at Stoke-on-Trent’s iconic
Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton followed
by a demonstration on the stage of The Victoria
Hall to a specially invited audience.
The National Theatre’s production of War
Horse makes its Stoke-on-Trent premiere at The
Regent Theatre from Wednesday 24 September
to Saturday 11 October 2014.
The on-stage event included a puppetry
demonstration and talk about the history of the
show from War Horse’s puppetry director, Finn
Caldwell. Finn was in the original production of
War Horse in 2007 and was involved in the
origination of the show. The puppeteers
operating Joey in Stoke-on-Trent for the event
were David Emmings (Joey Head), Stuart Angell
(Joey Heart), Sam Clark (Joey Hind).
Local pottery firm Emma Bridgewater
presented a specially commissioned War Horse
plate to Gladstone during the morning.
Chris Harper, Producer of War Horse said:
“War Horse is on a spectacularly successful tour
of the UK and Ireland, and we are particularly
excited about bringing the show to the
magnificent Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent in
September. War Horse is the powerful story of a
young boy called Albert and his beloved horse,
Joey, who has been requisitioned to fight for the
British in World War I. Caught in enemy
crossfire, Joey ends up serving on both sides
during the war before landing in No Man’s Land,
while Albert, not old enough to enlist, embarks
on a treacherous mission to find his horse and
bring him home. Based on a novel by Michael
Morpurgo, War Horse is adapted by Nick
Stafford and presented in association with
Handspring Puppet Company. Directed by
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, Michael
Morpurgo has written over 100 books and was
J
38 April/May 2014
Children’s Laureate from 2003 to 2005.
War Horse is produced by the National
Theatre - www.warhorseonstage.com
Tickets are now on sale and are available in
person from The Regent Theatre Box Office, by
calling
0844
871
7649
or
visiting
www.atgtickets.com/stoke.