Synopsis - War Horse the play at first thrilled to find Major Nicholls’ sketchbook, with drawings of him and Joey; then he reads the letter telling him this is a bequest – the Major has been killed in action. There have been other telegrams received in the village, bringing bad news from the front: Thomas Bone, Carter and John Gregg have all been killed. There’s no news yet of Billy. Suddenly, Albert realises Nicholls must have been riding Joey. His mother is furious that he cares more for the horse than the men who have died, but tries to comfort him. When she goes to fetch something for him, he quickly tears a picture of Joey from the sketchbook and dashes off on his new bicycle. Rose returns and panics that he has gone. March 1915. Behind British lines. Captain Stewart tells Trooper Billy Narracott – who is shaking violently with nerves – to ride Joey. “Your horse – he belonged to your family, didn’t he?” “To my cousin, sir.” The buglers sound ‘Trot’, ‘Gallop’, then ‘Charge’, and the troopers ride into battle and shells and machine gun fire create havoc, as Billy shouts ‘where are the guards?’ Horses scream as they run into the barbed wire, but Joey and Topthorn keep going. INTERVAL March 1915, Calais. Albert has joined the Yeomanry. SERGEANT THUNDER, who doesn’t believe Albert is 19, as he says, tells him the Yeomanry has been disbanded, so he’s now in the infantry. Albert is dismayed, telling the incredulous sergeant that he’s looking for his horse and showing him the sketch of Joey. Everything Thunder says is bellowed, and he now roars at DAVID TAYLOR, who has been caught laughing. He gives a French lesson before telling them they are all to take a shovel and start digging trenches. “We’re making ourselves tres comfortable.” The Song Man sings ‘Goodbye Dolly I must leave you’, and the men join in.
German, say that the horses must be used to pull an ambulance and fetch the wounded. Friedrich thinks they will resist and have to be shot, but Joey (as the Song Man sings the Plough song) shows how he has done this before, and they are both harnessed. Friedrich is surprised and admits that whoever taught Joey to plough has saved his life: if he can pull an ambulance he can stay away from the fighting. Albert and David have been cut off from their companions after an attack and are lost at night. David thinks Albert, being a country boy, should be able to find out where they are. David decides to finish a letter to his girl, Flossie, and teases Albert “I’ve got the girl. You’ve got your horse.” He remembers how he has promised to teach his little brother to ride a bike, and Albert says he could have the one he’s left in Exeter. Albert keeps hearing distant horse screams, reminding him of his quest. Surprised by a German soldier, Albert shoots him and they make a run for it. At Paulette’s farm, EMILIE finds some chocolate in the pocket of a dead soldier. She hides when she hears Friedrich coming with the horses; he is shocked to find everyone else has been killed: ‘a field of ghosts.’ Noticing Emilie, he talks to her in French, and introduces her to the horses. When her mother, PAULETTE, sees this she is terrified and tells Emilie to go back to the cellar. Friedrich explains that the little girl reminds him of his own, Gisa; he longs to go home and talks to the horses of how beautiful it is there. Realising that perhaps no one now knows where he is, he decides to take the ambulance orderly’s uniform and stay with the horses. He pretends that Müller is dead.
Paulette’s farm: Captain Stewart and Billy have been taken captive by German soldiers. HAUPTMANN FRIEDRICH MÜLLER is shooting horses trapped and injured on the wire. When the prisoners are searched, Billy’s knife is found, and when he struggles to retrieve it, Karl kills him with it. Friedrich calms the situation and reveals that he speaks English. Joey and Topthorn are led on, and Friedrich asks their names. He talks to them in English to comfort them, telling them they will now join the German cavalry. Topthorn reminds him of his own horse, Siegfried, who was killed under him. DR SCHWEYK and COLONEL STRAUSS, speaking in From left: Nurse Annie Gilbert (Louise Kempton), Albert (Jack Holden) and David Taylor (Danny Dalton) Photo: Simon Annand, Nov 2011
National Theatre Education Pack
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