WarHorse Explore Log
This Arts Award Belongs to: Date of Birth: This War Horse Arts Award Explore resource has been created by Tameside Council and The Lowry, Salford and supported by Curious Minds in association with the National Theatre
What is
Arts Award? Arts Award supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders; looking to inspire children and young people aged 5-25 to enjoy the arts; offering the opportunity to develop creative and leadership skills and get those skills recognised through national qualifications.
What is Arts Award Explore? There are four parts to Arts Award Explore, they are:
A. Inspire Take part in different arts activities and record what inspires you.
B. Explore Explore arts organisations and artists.
C. Create Produce work to demonstrate your arts-based skills and creativity.
D. Present Share some of your exploration with others and record what you do. Sometimes Arts Award can be part of a themed project or activity. You can work towards a number of Arts Awards over a period of time if you wish or, after finishing Explore, take the next step to Arts Award Bronze.
Welcome to
War Horse We are delighted that you have chosen to take part in Arts Award Explore for War Horse. There will be opportunities for you to take part in a wide range of activities relating to the National Theatre’s production of War Horse which is touring in the UK and Ireland in 2013-14. There is more information about where to see the show on the back of this booklet. As a result of watching the production and through a series of professional workshops, you will be able to work creatively on your own and with others to produce an artistic response which can be shared and celebrated.
Writing War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo has written over 100 books for children and adults. He wrote War Horse in 1982 and, 25 years later in October 2007, the novel was adapted into a play and staged by the National Theatre, with Handspring Puppet Company. Michael Morpurgo grew up in London just after the Second World War, a London of bombsites and ration books. He played in bombsites. He and his friends had cellars for dens, crumbling walls to climb, and in amongst the rubble he made endless discoveries. As a schoolboy he read the great poets of the First World War
– Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Thomas Hardy. He read Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, and saw the film: Went to see Joan Littlewood’s Oh! What a Lovely War. Britten’s great War Requiem, and the pictures of Paul Nash and Stanley Spencer all left an impression on him. In his early thirties, in 1975, he moved from Kent to Devon where, with his wife Clare, he set up Farms for City Children, an educational charity they hoped would enrich the lives of children by enabling them to spend a week of their young lives living and working down on the farm.
Michael Morpurgo came across an old painting of a cavalry charge in the First World War. The British cavalry were charging up a hill towards the German position, one or two horses already caught up on the barbed wire. This inspired him to try and write a story of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of a horse. But it was one incident in particular that convinced him to write War Horse…
“A young boy from Birmingham came to the farm with his classmates; he was called Billy. Billy was withdrawn and so tormented by a stammer that by the age of seven he had given up speaking at all. One November evening I had come to the farmhouse to read to the children. As I came into the stable yard behind the house I found Billy standing there under the stable light, talking freely to one of the horses. He spoke confidently, knowing he was not being judged or mocked. And I had the very strong impression that the horse was listening and understanding too. It was an unforgettable moment for all three of us, I think. It was that extraordinary, inspirational moment that gave me the confidence I needed to begin writing War Horse.” “I never start thinking about writing a book until I have had many weeks, months and sometimes years of dreaming something around in my head. I call it my dream time and it’s the most important time of writing. I didn’t think of it at first: because I’d been brought up, as most kids are, to think I could do things quite quickly. Actually the better part of writing, I think most writers would agree, is that you have to spend an awful lot of time simply living in the world that you’re going to be writing about.”
What is the
Play about? 5 August 1912 The production starts with LIEUTENANT NICHOLLS sketching the countryside of Devon. An auction begins, conducted by CHAPMAN CARTER. The bidding quickly rises between TED NARRACOTT and his brother ARTHUR NARRACOTT. Ted, who has been drinking, finally makes the winning bid of 39 Guineas. Back at their farm, ROSE NARRACOTT is furious that her husband has wasted the mortgage money. She puts ALBERT NARRACOTT in charge of bringing the horse on so that when he’s grown they can sell him. Albert feeds the foal, names him; and teaches Joey a special whistle call. July 1914 Two years pass and, one night, Ted tries to put a collar on Joey because he has bet his brother Arthur 39 guineas that Joey can plough a furrow in seven days time. If he loses, Arthur gets the horse. Albert starts to train Joey, introducing him to the collar, the bridle, the reins, and finally the plough and Joey eventually pulls the plough — to victory. 5 August 1914 A peal of church bells means the war has begun. In the village they are enlisting men and offering to pay £100 for an officer’s horse; Ted sees an opportunity to make money and sells Joey to Nicholls who is now a Major. Albert is desperate when he discovers what his father has done, and offers to join up, but at 16 is too young. Nicholls promises that Joey will be well cared for. Albert says goodbye to his horse and solemnly swears they will be together again. Arthur gives his son BILLY NARRACOTT a knife that both he and Billy’s grandfather used in war.
6 November 1914 Nicholls and Joey are posted to France along with CAPTAIN STEWART and his horse TOPTHORN. They spot enemy infantry but just as they are ready to charge, machine-gun fire breaks out and Nicholls is blown off his horse. Christmas Day 1914 Back in Devon, Ted and Rose give Albert a bicycle for Christmas. Arthur brings a parcel for Albert that he has picked up at the post office. Albert is at first thrilled to find Major Nicholls’ sketchbook, with drawings of him and Joey; then Rose reads the letter telling him the Major has been killed in action and he realises Nicholls must have been riding Joey. Albert quickly tears a picture of Joey from the sketchbook and dashes off on his new bicycle to enlist. March 1915 Captain Stewart tells Trooper Billy Narracott, who is shaking violently with nerves, to ride Joey into battle. Other horses run into barbed wire, but Joey and Topthorn keep going.
Interval March 1915 Albert has joined the Yeomanry and he arrives in France. SERGEANT THUNDER tells him the Yeomanry has been disbanded, so he’s now in the infantry. Captain Stewart and Billy have been taken captive by German soldiers. They are searched and Billy’s knife is found, but when he struggles to retrieve it, PRIVATE KLAUSEN kills him. CAPTAIN FRIEDRICH MÜLLER calms the situation but is dismayed that Joey and Topthorn must be used to pull an ambulance.
SPOILER ALERT: This section explains most of the plot so please don’t read or share this information if you don’t want to know! At PAULETTE’s farm which is occupied by German soldiers, Friedrich introduces her young daughter EMILIE to the horses. He then decides to take the dead Ambulance Orderly’s uniform and pretend that Müller is dead. Christmas 1916 Klausen, now promoted to Lance Corporal leads on two exhausted horses pulling a huge gun. Friedrich recognises him and knows he is dangerous. Klausen realises the Ambulance Orderly is really Friedrich, and says Joey and Topthorn will have to help pull the gun. Albert is injured by mustard gas and his pal DAVID drags him to safety. November 1918 Topthorn is weakened with exertion, and he collapses and dies. A British tank appears, killing Friedrich; Joey is finally forced to flee and leave his dead friends. He gallops away and runs into barbed wire in No Man’s Land. GEORDIE, a Sentry in the British trench, sees something moving and a German in the opposite trench, MANFRED, also sees the horse and, waving a white flag, goes out to fetch him. Geordie doesn’t want the Germans to take this prize, so he too goes out with a white flag. Together, they help Joey, and finally toss a coin for which side will take him. Geordie wins. 11 November 1918 Albert has been blinded by the gas, but is told he will recover his sight. Geordie and Sergeant Thunder lead Joey in and he is inspected by VETERINARY OFFICER MARTIN who prepares to shoot Joey. Albert makes his special whistle call and Joey reacts. Finally, the two are reunited. A bell chimes eleven times, signalling the war’s end and Albert and Joey return to Devon.
First steps‌
What are the arts? List as many art forms as you can think of...
Which art forms have you already experienced, perhaps as an audience member or that you’ve taken part in?
Which art forms would you really like to take part in?
A. Inspire Take part in different arts activities and record what inspires you
Describe your visit to see the production‌
B. Explore Explore artists and arts organisations
Which artist and organisations have you explored?
What did you find out?
How might you use your findings to influence your own work?
Illustration taken from the Washington Post
‘It was all amazing, I really felt like I was in it – I would watch it a billion times!’ Year 6 Student, Oliver Goldsmith Primary School
C. Create Make an arts piece that demonstrates your arts skills and creativity. What are you going to create?
What materials and skills do you need?
How long will the process take?
My record of Progress Make notes and perhaps include sketches and photographs of your activity in working towards your completed piece: Date:
Activity:
Date:
Activity:
My creativity
D. Present Share your arts exploration with others and record what you do. Include photographs of you doing this here:
As part of your War Horse project you could hold a celebration event where you and your group will have the opportunity to show your completed work. Include photographs of you doing this here:
What did you most enjoy about sharing your work / project?
What would you
This is what
If you were to do this project again,
You might include things people said about
what would you do differently?
your work at the event, and comments made
Change?
People said‌ afterwards by your family, friends or other members of your group.
What have you
Enjoyed most Tell us what you enjoyed most about taking part in the Arts Award Explore War Horse.
What are your next steps in the Arts?
War Horse Tour London
Southampton
New London Theatre
Mayflower Theatre 19/02 - 15/03/14
Plymouth Theatre Royal, Plymouth 27/09 - 12/10/13
Birmingham Birmingham, Hippodrome 16/10 - 09/11/13
Salford The Lowry 20/11 - 18/01/14
Edinburgh Edinburgh Festival Theatre 22/01 - 15/02/14
Dublin Bord Gรกis Energy Theatre 26/03 - 26/04/14
Sunderland Sunderland Empire 30/04 - 17/05/14
Bradford Alhambra Theatre 26/05 - 14/06/14
Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre 18/06 - 19/07/14
This War Horse Arts Award Explore resource has been created by Tameside Council and The Lowry, Salford and supported by Curious Minds in association with the National Theatre. Original illustrations and designs for War Horse by Rae Smith Production photographs by Brinkhodd & Mogenburg, other images from NT Archive