The first time Gareth Aled ever picked up a puppet was when he auditioned for War Horse. To his delight, he galloped straight into the show. Now he is the Resident Puppetry Director of the multi-award-winning production, which returns to Australia this month.

War Horse at the New London Theatre. All photos © Brinkhoff Mögenburg

An acting graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Aled went to see War Horse at the New London Theatre in 2010 because a friend from drama school was playing the lead role of Albert.

“I had just moved to London and I remember that evening so vividly, it had such an impact. Then the opportunity to audition came up a couple of years later, towards the end of 2012. I was thrilled to be in the room, it was an amazing experience, and even more thrilled to get the job,” he says.

Aled performed in the production for two and a half years, then worked on other shows before returning two years ago in a resident directing role. Since then he has travelled the world, overseeing the extraordinary puppetry...