Though “Farm Boy” is being promoted as the sequel to “War Horse,” it feels more like a gentle epilogue.
Those curious about the fate of the horse Joey and his human friend, Albert, after their return from WWI may be disappointed: The pair feature prominently in this play, without appearing onstage.
Nor is this an epic like the show still packing them in at Lincoln Center, either. Here we only have two actors, an old tractor and a chair.
The focus of “Farm Boy” is much narrower than in “War Horse” but the shows share some themes: friendship, and the transition from animals to machines.
Adapted by Daniel Buckroyd from Michael Morpurgo’s 1997 book, the play is set up as a series of conversations between an unnamed man in his mid-20s (Richard Pryal) and his elderly grandfather (John Walters) — whose dad was Albert.
In his spare time, the grandson’s been fixing an ancient Fordson tractor, and one day, Grandpa reveals how it ended up in the family’s barn.
Those familiar with “War Horse” will recall the thrilling feat of ploughing Joey pulled off as a colt. Here we learn that Joey and the mare Zoey competed against a neighbor and his tractor to see who could get through the most furrows in one day. There’s no suspense — we know Albert won the Fordson — yet the grandfather’s account of what he witnessed as a child is gripping.
You could do worse than bringing your city kids, raised with technology, to this unassuming, homey show: “Farm Boy” would be like a trip to a foreign land for them.