Joey Returns ‘Home’
MONTECASINO - There was a lot of horsing around at Montecasino's Teatro on 5 August when the puppet horse, Joey, was introduced to the public.
Displaying great stature, Joey was paraded from outside into the theatre.
This epic South African adventure, War Horse, is Peter Toerien’s brainchild which will be showcased on stage at the Teatro later this year.
War Horse is renowned for its phenomenal theatre puppetry, and has won over five Tony Awards for its art, and has seen a successful run on Broadway.
Toerien mentioned that he fell in love with War Horse when it first opened at the National Theatre in London nearly seven years ago, and the journey to bring Joey home was born.
War Horse is the powerful story of a young boy called Albert who has been called up to fight for the British in World War I riding his beloved horse, Joey. Joey then ended up serving on both sides of the battle during the war and landed in No Man’s Land. Albert then embarks on an arduous journey to find his horse and bring him home.
“The production is a remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship, [bringing] breathing and galloping horses to life on stage,” said Toerien.
The actors and the brilliance of South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company have made War Horse an extraordinary experience for theatre-goers during its run in America, England, Holland and Berlin.
Producer, Chris Harper, said seen that Joey was designed and crafted in Handspring Puppet Company’s Cape Town’s factory, it was only fitting that they are returning to the country where he was created to be enjoyed by South African audiences.
Details: War Horse is on at Montecasino’s Teatro from 22 October until 30 November.
