Swish of the Curtain

Dartmoor. 1914. War is breaking out between Britain and Germany. Albert is a young boy, son of Farmer Narracott. When Narracott brings a young foal home from an auction, Albert decides to train Joey to become a plough horse. A bond forms between them, making them inseparable. Peace seems to have thrown an invisible net of joy over the farm. But the Narracott family is in need of money. In the middle of the night, Farmer Narracott sneaks into the town centre with Joey. There, he finds a group of officers who are searching for horses to join the cavalry. The farmer sells Joey, without telling his son or his wife about this bargain, but soon, Albert begins to guess the truth. Risking life and limb for his only friend, Albert embarks on a terrifying mission across the battlefields of France.

Everyone has heard about the life-size horse puppets that are inhabited by the staggeringly talented puppeteers, but there are also geese, swallows and many other creatures that add another dimension to this gem of a play. Rae Smith’s fabulous illustrations are shown on a screen behind the stage, which creates a beautiful but haunting effect. My favourite scene is when they portray No-Man’s Land on stage with vast metal structures, barbed wire, smoke and flashing lights.  This National Theatre production makes it is easy to imagine the disorientating terror the soldiers and the horses would have felt. This is a truly moving tale brought to life with traditional wartime music.  It is definitely the best play that I have ever seen.