Contents (46)
- War Horse
- Contents
- First Performance
- Characters
- WAR HORSE
- Author’s Note
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- War Horse Songbook
- The Devonshire Carol
- Only Remembered
- The Scarlet and the Blue
- Snowfalls
- Brisk Young Ploughboy
- Rolling Home
- Stand To
- Goodbye Dolly Gray
- About the Author
- By Nick Stafford from Faber
- Copyright
The bells cease.
Exit Carter, leading villagers.
Albert (to Joey) Whatever’s going on in the rest of the world, you’re mine now, Joey, you’re mine …
Exit Albert and Joey.
SEVEN
Village green, 6 August 1914.
The sequestering and muster – a gathering of men and horses. Military music. Flags. Children with broomsticks playing at marching.
Upstage, Topthorn, bearing Captain Stewart in dress uniform, is serving as the recruiting image.
There are verbal recruiting sergeants directing traffic.
Sergeant Greig Volunteer horses this way, sequestered horses that way.
Sergeant Bone Men with mounts this way, men without that way. Old soldiers up to the age of forty-five this way, new recruits that way.
Sergeant Greig Blacksmiths wanted!
Enter Ted.
Sergeant Bone Surgeons wanted!
Sergeant Greig Horses, fine horses, bring ’em along. Your country needs them, too. And we pay fair. Forty pounds for a trooper’s mount, one hundred for an officer’s!
Ted How much?
Sergeant Greig One hundred pounds! So if you have a fine horse that you believe deserves an officer on its back, bring it along, bring it along.
Exit Ted.
Sergeant Bone Who wants the King’s shilling? (To Carter and son.) You take the shilling, I get sixpence – we’re both happy. Join up, join up. Enlist here. Attestation forms over there. Over the age of seventeen? Over there. Old soldier up to the age of forty-five? Over here. And repeat after me. ‘I swear by Almighty God, that I will be faithful’ etcetera, here, you can read the oath on the forms, and add this to it. See, the oath ends, ‘So help me God’? Well add this: and God help the Kaiser, because he’s gonna need help ’cos we’re gonna run him right out of Belgium, right back into Germany, then right through Germany and out the other side, wherever that is!
Enter Arthur and Ned.
Arthur Here, Ned – I’ve something for ye (a big knife). This’uz your grandvather’s. He carried it in the zecond Afghan War. And then it uz mine, in the Boer War. We both served to safeguard the Empire and we both survived, and now it’s yourn. You look after it and it’ll keep you safe. And if you ever have cause to use it, me and your grandvather will be guiding your hand.
Enter Ted with Joey. (They do not meet Topthorn.)
Ted Alright, old zun?
Joey flinches when Ted tries to pat him.
Remember kicking me? Are you Major Nicholls, zir?
Nicholls I am.
Ted I’m Edward Narracott.
Nicholls Volunteering him?
Ted Finest horse in the parish.
Nicholls What’s his name?
Ted Joey, zir.
Nicholls Hello, Joey. I’ve seen you before.
Ted You saw great things, I expect. Officer’s horse, I’d say.
Nicholls You would, would you?
Enter Vet Bright. He admires Joey.
Vet Bright No splints, no curbs, good feet and teeth. Sound as a bell. Fit for anything.
Nicholls A hundred pounds, then.
Arthur Eh?
Ted Thank you, sir. Not bad, eh, Arthur? This horse I shouldn’t’ve bought has turned out to be a bit of a money spinner.