‘War Horse’ musicians lose legal bid

Musicians who performed in the London production of War Horse have lost a legal bid to stop the National Theatre from replacing them with a recorded soundtrack.

The five performers, laid off last month, asked the High Court for an injunction so they could keep their jobs pending a legal challenge.

Judge Ross Cranston refused on Tuesday, saying reinstating the musicians would cause “not insignificant practical difficulty” for the company. But he said the five had a strong case to argue for breach of contract.

The story of a horse serving during the Second World War is one of the National Theatre’s most successful shows, with productions running in Britain, the United States and Germany. Steven Spielberg directed a film adaptation.