War Horse

I am ashamed to admit that this was my first ever theatrical visit to the National. Of course I'd been before, and I'd seen their productions elsewhere previously, but I'd never actually sat in one of their theatres before. Very glad that is now rectified.

Anyway, War Horse more than lived up to expectations. I remember absolutely adoring the book when I was younger and was disappointed not to have seen it last time.

It was beautiful... elegant and subtle and just lovely. I thought the cast, in general, were strong.

My only negative was that after spending the first act thinking I recognised him, I placed Patrick O'Kane (Freidrich) at the start of the second act as having been the Macbeth that I walked out of in Stratford recently. Given that this is the only time I have ever left a theatre early in my life, it gives some indication as to the strength of my feeling against his acting.

To give him his dues, he wasn't as bad as I remembered him as Macbeth, but I was so annoyed by that entire theatrical experience that it irritated me throughout the second act of War Horse.

Loved it, despite that. As ever, I am in awe of any actor with that level of physicality. Amazing.