National Theatre Live’s thrilling broadcast of “War Horse” returns to Orcas Center for an Encore Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. The National Theatre’s multi-award-winning production of “War Horse,” seen by over 4 million people worldwide since its premiere at the National Theatre in 2007, will be broadcast from its home at the New London Theatre in the West End.

Based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, the play is a powerful story of a young boy called Albert and his beloved horse, Joey, who has been requisitioned to fight for the British in World War I. Caught in enemy crossfire, Joey ends up serving on both sides during the war before landing in No Man’s Land, while Albert, not old enough to enlist, embarks on a treacherous mission to find his horse and bring him home. A remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship, War Horse features ground-breaking puppetry work by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which brings breathing and galloping horses to life on stage.

War Horse is currently celebrating its sixth year on the London stage and is now on a tour in the UK and Ireland. A German language production entitled Gefährten opened in October 2013 at the historic Theater des Westens in Berlin, and a North American production continued to tour throughout 2013 and 2014. The Broadway production of War Horse, which completed its run at the Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater earlier, was the winner of six Tony Awards including a Special Tony Award for Handspring Puppet Company.

Tickets are $20, $15 for students, $2 off for Orcas Center members, and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12-2 pm. There are $5 subsidized tickets available at the Box Office.