Child’s play

Times Online: "How things can change. The hottest play in London this month is War Horse, designed for audiences of 12 and above. Ingeniously adapted from the novel by the former children’s laureate Michael Morpurgo, it tells the story of a beloved horse roped into military service in the First World War, and the boy who signs up to the army to find him again. Garlanding more critical wows than anything else the National Theatre has done since The History Boys, it’s sure to pack out the 1,100-seat Olivier auditorium from now till the new year. “Children’s theatre is helping the National to grow up,” The Observer raved. “This is a show for all ages and all time,” agreed the Sunday Express. But actually War Horse, and the National, are just the tip of the iceberg."