War Horse at The Lowry a love story of epic proportions

And if you have already, then this latest version at The Lowry in Salford is still a must-see.

From the opening scene, with the smoke, lighting and stage backdrop evoking the sense of a pre-Great War misty Devonshire morning, the audience is spellbound.

The production values are akin to a Hollywood blockbuster and the cast ooze confidence throughout, expertly balancing humour with the utter blackness and despair that enshroud this tale.

For this production, the puppeteers were sent to South Africa to live amongst horses and train with them, observing their mannerisms, right down to the movements of their ears, so they could translate that to the operation of the magnificent, mechanical stallions on stage.

Within a few minutes the puppeteers become invisible as the eyes gravitate only to Joey and his war-time stablemate Topthorn.

And their night-time confrontation to figure out who is top horse is pure, epic, unadulterated theatre. Nothing can compare to this in any other form of entertainment.

The relationship between Albert Narracott (played by Tom Sturgess who perfectly blends naive innocence with an iron will) and his four-legged friend Joey (operated by three puppeteers) transcends their performances.

It forces this cautionary tale of war – perhaps the most gruesome in human history – into a love story that will no doubt still be performed for the rest of this century and beyond.

The tale is a much-needed reminder of the horrors on the battlefield and how lives and hopes are extinguished in the blink of an eye.

But it also exposes the core reason for being among so many of us, to find love and be loved. And it is that loving bond between Joey and Albert that is the star of the show, it burns brightly and – after their enforced separation – remains a constant theme that will surely bring tears to the eyes of those with even the most hardened of hearts.

If ever a theatre performance was required watching for politicians who deal with foreign affairs, then this is it.

A brief truce between the British and German soldiers on the horrific arena that was No Man’s Land reveals how humanity can overcome orders from above to do the right thing.

War Horse continues to uplift audiences around the world.

It runs at The Lowry until Saturday.