Video: Queen meets 'remarkable' War Horse Joey The Queen appeared delighted to be introduced to Joey, the star of the hit show War Horse, on a visit to the National Theatre on the 50th anniversary of the company's formation. The Queen, who saw War Horse on a private visit to the National four years ago, told Joey's operators: "It's lovely to see you again." The National Theatre opened its doors in 1963 with the Hollywood star Sir Laurence Olivier as its first director and over the decades has staged 800 productions. It has premiered plays by leading playwrights like Sir Tom Stoppard, Sir Peter Shaffer, Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter, Alan Bennett and Sir David Hare, and has been the home to outstanding revivals of classic plays and musicals. The famous theatre is holding a gala performance next month featuring scenes from memorable productions. Among the highlights include Dame Judi Dench, who appeared in Antony and Cleopatra in 1987, reprising the lead female role and delivering her elegy to Antony, while Sir Michael Gambon and Sir Derek Jacobi are expected to play parts in Pinter's No Man's Land.