An original set of puppets from the smash-hit play War Horse – including Joey, Topthorn, the Foal and Goose – were sold at Bonhams in London last night at a charity auction that raised £68,000 for the Handspring Trust. Joey, star of the show, gave an exclusive performance with National Theater puppeteers before selling for £35,000.
The puppets were designed and made in South Africa by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of Handspring Puppet Company (both present at last night’s auction). Eight full sets of these puppets were made for the production of War Horse. This set, the first to be sold at auction, was signed by Kohler, Handspring’s Master Puppeteer.
Handspring Trust was founded by Kohler and Jones and is, in their own words, “a not-for-profit organization seeking to inspire creativity, commitment and innovation towards new puppet theater arts”.
Bonhams Director of African Art, Giles Peppiatt says: “War Horse captured hearts around the world. We are delighted to have raised so much money for a great cause.”
War Horse, based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, is the most successful play ever mounted by the Royal National Theater of London. During its thus far eight-year run in London’s West End and tour to 11 countries around the world, War Horse has been seen by more than seven million people worldwide. The National Theater will begin a major UK tour of War Horse on September 13 2017. More details on www.warhorseonstage.com.
The charity auction evening was sponsored by Investec.
Enquiries
For further information and images call Andrew Currie on +44 (0) 20 7468 5871, or email andrew.currie@bonhams.com or press@bonhams.com.
