Warhorse is a big play with a massive reputation – so enthralling that Spielberg saw it and decided to make it into a movie. Having wowed critics and audiences alike in London, the multiple Tony award-winning production arrives in Sydney.
Warhorse takes you from the innocence of rural Ireland to the aching pointlessness of World War One, a conflict that threw flesh and blood into the path of bullets and shells. This is a story with plenty of heart.
Newcomer Cody Fern plays Albert, the teenager whose beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to the Western Front. “For me, it was all about deciding to abandon the ordinary in myself and go on this adventure with an open heart and sense of childish play,” says Fern.
The magic of this production is in the life-sized horses built of steel, leather and aircraft cables – more kinetic sculptures than puppets. Each horse is brought to life by a team of actors. Kailah Cabanas plays Joey’s head as well as the comical goose. “As these creatures breathe they come to life,” says Cabanas. “The audience connects, because all the emotional energy of the actor is channeled through these magnificent characters.”
As the Anzac spirit looms large in the Australian consciousness, so this play is bound to resonate. (GW)
Mar 16 – May 12, Lyric Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, $89-135, 1300 795 267, ticketmaster.com.au
BY GREG WEBSTER
