Review by Jack McCabe
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Iqbal Khan’s production of Animal Farm has returned to Bolton Octagon after a run of shows last year. For those who don’t know, Animal Farm is an allegorical story about a group of farmyard animals who overthrow their human owner in a hope to create a society of equals, though such aspirations never materialise as with power, comes corruption. The farm becomes an industrial abattoir whereby effort is not rewarded, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. George Orwell wrote the original novel in 1945 and yet, in typical Orwellian fashion, it remains relevant today.
Originally adapted for the stage by Ian Wooldridge, this is a faithful production in which doses of humour are well-pitched and welcomed, and you do not need to know the story in order to enjoy this adaptation, a testament to the storytelling. If you are familiar with the story, this production is instantly familiar and your enjoyment may deepen.
A powerful story requires a powerful cast, and the company of six performers in this show were up to the task. Any observations in of how this show may have been improved have nothing to do with the acting, which featured powerhouse performances. Sam Black’s performance as Boxer was powerful and incredibly moving, portraying the innocent vulnerability of the workhorse and providing excellent comic relief. For me, the standout performance was from Soroosh Lavasani. Within the programme, he is credited as playing Snowball, however it was his performance as Benjamin, the donkey, which blew me away. It was a comic masterclass.
The brilliance of the performances was, however, held back by various decisions made in this production. The consistent and repeated whinnying and grunting as they moved round the space did remind me of a GCSE drama exercise, feeling unnecessary and constraining the strong cast. The costume design allowed the audience to know who these animals were without the need for farmyard noises. The audience should have been trusted to maintain that knowledge and, in doing so, allowed the actors to do their work.
The atmosphere from the very start was a chilling one. Ciarán Bagnall’s lighting and set design was industrial and dark, and Gerry Marsden’s sound design loud and alarming, if sometimes too loud. At a number of points during the show, it was very difficult to hear the dialogue over the soundscape. This took away from, what I am sure were, powerful and important pieces of the text.
It also felt like this show could have been longer. The second half was around 35 minutes and the ending, to me, felt rushed. The idea of the pigs becoming indistinguishable from the humans they once rebelled against seemed to be lost in a fast-paced (and loud) ending. The exploration of such an important realisation to the animals deserved the time to breathe.
This production, as you would hope from an Orwell text, is chilling and thought provoking. It is powerful due to astounding performances from an extremely strong cast. However, it is an example that a production needs more than an excellent cast to make an excellent show. That is not to say it was not enjoyable, it really was, it just had the potential to be so much more.
Animal Farm plays at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton until February 1st
For tickets and information visit https://octagonbolton.co.uk/events/animal-farm-2
Photos by Pamela Raith