REVIEW: Animal Farm at The Lowry

Image credit: Manuel Harlen

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Robert Icke came to national attention with his stage adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, now – together with Toby Olié (the co-creative mastermind behind the puppets in War Horse) – he turns his attention to Orwell’s Animal Farm.

The puppets, and the way they are handled, is truly phenomenal.

Published in 1945, Orwell’s allegorical novella tells the story of the Russian revolution and its aftermath. The story takes the structure of a farmyard fable, as a group of animals lead a revolt against their human masters, only to find their idealist post-human society fall into authoritarian disrepair. Since its publication, the story has resonated throughout history. With startling universal themes, this impressive new theatrical production of Animal Farm is given even more meaning and relevance in light of current world news events.

Image credit: Manuel Harlen

In this powerful and timely stage adaptation, ‘the ensemble’ are an exceptionally detailed and characterful group of puppets, skilfully animated by a team of puppeteers and the text is spoken by actors as a pre-recorded voiceover. 

Image credit: Manuel Harlen

The puppets, and the way they are handled, is truly phenomenal. The puppeteers crouch and envelop the animals – each movement particular to each animal and its character. There’s humour to be found in the bickering hens and the farmyard feline. With fluttering pigeons, waddling geese, muscular cart horses, panting dogs and of course, the infamous pigs – Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer – there’s plenty of parallels to be drawn here in terms of our own leaders, Partygate and restrictions on the right to protest. I’ll leave you to mull that over.

A bold and thought provoking production perfectly programmed for our time.

Dark and ominous, Bunny Christie’s minimalist design of sliding corrugated iron suggests the working climate of a farm, while Jon Clark’s intelligent lighting design and Tom Gibbons’ sound design excels in building tension throughout the 90 minute non-stop piece.

There is much to admire in this daring, contemporary performance – a bold and thought provoking production perfectly programmed for our time.

-Kristy Stott

Animal Farm continues its UK tour at Plymouth Theatre Royal from 29 March – 2 April; Nottingham Theatre Royal from 5 – 9 April; Belgrade Theatre Coventry 12 – 16 April, the Grand Theatre, Blackpool 19 – 23 April and Liverpool, Playhouse 26 – 30 April. For more tour venues and dates, click here.