[Photo provided to China Daily]

It was first performed by the National Theatre at the Olivier Theatre in London in 2007 and had a seven-year run in the West End, toured 10 countries and was seen by more than 7 million people in the world.

The Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg turned the World War I story about an English farm boy Albert and his beloved horse Joey into a movie of the same title in 2011. It became a box-office success and was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture.

Li Dong, a producer with the National Theater of China, says he first watched the play at the West End in August 2011 and was so impressed that he decided to bring it to China.

One of the biggest challenges for anyone putting on the play is coming to grips with the life-size horse puppet created for it by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa. It takes three actors to manipulate the 2.4-meter-tall horse, weighing 54 kilograms.

At performances in Beijing last year, many schoolchildren watched the drama and went backstage to find out about the production, Zhou says.

This summer, more children will be invited to join in the training of puppeteers, who manipulate the "horses".

If you go

2 pm and 7:30 pm, Friday, Saturday, Aug 6 and Aug 13. 7:30 pm, Sunday, Aug 5, 7, 12 and 14.

National Theater of China, 277 Guang'anmenwai Street, Xicheng district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.