Adapted from the novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse is set at the outbreak of World War One and tells the story of Joey, the beloved horse of young Albert, who is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. But Albert cannot forget his horse, and embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home.
The story is told by actors working with spectacular life-size puppets created by the Handspring Puppet Company who, along with designer Rae Smith, won an Olivier Award for the show last year; the design is completed by an Olivier-award nominated lighting design by Paule Constable.
Supplying the lighting rig for Paule Constable's design, entertainment lighting supplier White Light worked closely with Constable, associate lighting designer Nick Simmons, assistant lighting designer Beky Stoddart, production electrician Gerry Amies and the National's Mike Atkinson to ensure that the new rig precisely re-created the acclaimed design from the National. A combination was used of both rented equipment and equipment purchased, which is subsequently to be added to the National Theatre's equipment stock.
The rig for the New London includes automated lighting from Vari-Lite (VL3000Q Washes, VL1000 AS Spots), ETC (Revolutions) and DHA Lighting (Digital Light Curtains), conventionals from ETC (Source Fours, Source Pars), Strand (Alto 2.5kW PCs, Bambino 5kW Fresnels), Thomas (Par64s), R&V (1kW Beamlight followspots with DMX-controlled dimmer shutters), Arri (2.5kW HMI Fresnels), Robert Juliat (D'Artagnan HMI profile) and Rainbow (Rainbow Pro scrollers in a range of sizes). Atmospheric effects are generated from MDG Atmosphere and Look Solutions Unique haze machines and Viper smoke machines. The entire rig is controlled from an ETC Ion console.
For more on War Horse see the January 2008 issue of Lighting&Sound magazine, available to view online for free as a digital edition.
(Jim Evans)
