National Theatre’s War Horse to return to UK stages after five-year absence

Exclusive: Director says he is interested to see response of new audiences at a time of growing instability

The global theatrical phenomenon War Horse is returning to British stages for the first time in five years, and its director hopes audiences will gain new perspectives against the backdrop of the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts.

The National Theatre and Tom Morris are embarking on a nationwide UK tour from this September of their adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s story about a boy and his horse who experience the horrors of the first world war.