George Orwell Archives - North West End UK

3Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Animal Farm – Liverpool Playhouse

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. As to be expected from a play, based on a novel by George Orwell, Animal Farm is a dystopian social commentary, that allegedly refers to the Russian revolution of 1917. It tells the story of Old Major, Napoleon, Snowball and the other animals of Manor Farm wanting to overthrow the human owner – Mr Jones and become free and self-sufficient. The production is one that would definitely be approved by Orwell himself, with a clever set designed by Ciarán Bagnall, which you don’t think would be much, as it is all set on the farm. But the moving parts that were added in – to create the windmill and show the commandments were clearly so well thought about and came across so well throughout the performance. It is truly...

Leeds Playhouse’s Animal Farm nominated for an Olivier Award

7Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse’s Animal Farm nominated for an Olivier Award

Leeds Playhouse’s co-production with Stratford East of Animal Farm has been nominated for an Olivier Award in the Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre category. As George Orwell’s classic novel celebrates its 80th anniversary it’s been adapted by Tatty Hennessy, who explores his core themes of loss of identity, the seductive allure of greed and the corrupting nature of political power. Designed by Hayley Grindle, this version was built in Leeds by the Playhouse’s skilled Costume and Workshop teams. All performances include live creative audio description performed in-character by a member of the cast as Orwell’s timeless warning to future generations is coming to the Playhouse from March 12th. Photo: Kirsten McTernan “I am beyond excited by this incredible honour,” says Ani...

14Feb

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Animal Farm – Stratford East

George Orwell's Animal Farm was published in 1945, in a world radically different from the modern political scene. Much may have changed in that time, but the themes of human nature, the lure of power and greed remain scarily relevant. Tatty Hennessy's revised working of Orwell's iconic novel highlights the changing work landscape, the loss of an industrial base, the realities of factory farming, and the roles of equality and fairness in society. On the run-down Manor Farm, owned by cruel farmer Jones, the animals long for a world in which they can be equal, free and happy. Major, the elderly and respected boar, calls on the animals to work together to overthrow the farmer. On Major's death, Napoleon and Snowball, two young pigs, assume the informal leadership of the group and org...

Cast announced for Animal Farm at Leeds Playhouse

6Feb

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Cast announced for Animal Farm at Leeds Playhouse

Animal Farm might have been written 80 years ago, but our troubled times make it perfect for a revival as Tatty Hennessy’s innovative adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian classic comes to Leeds Playhouse in March. Orwell’s timeless fable of how power corrupts revolves around a group of exploited animals who rebel against their human farmer-tyrant and take control of the land that they live on. They hope to create a world where they can be equal, happier and free but as power shifts and a new leader emerges things start to go badly wrong. Amy Leach directs Tianah Hodding (Clover), Shakeel Kimotho (Mollie), Robin Morrissey (Snowball), David Nellist (Benjamin), Tachia Newall (Napoleon), Gabriel Paul (Boxer), Em Prendergast (Milo), Everal A Walsh (Old Major), Farshid Rokey (Minty), Br...

24Jan

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Animal Farm – Octagon Theatre

George Orwell’s Animal Farm comes to life in a vivid and unsettling adaptation that thrusts the audience into the heart of a revolution. The barnyard is transformed into a stage where animals overthrow their human oppressors, driven by dreams of equality and justice. Yet, as Orwell so keenly observed, power has a way of corrupting even the noblest intentions. What begins as a hopeful uprising soon unravels into a chilling reflection of authoritarianism, manipulation, and the rewriting of truth. Olivia Chandler stands out in her dual roles, first as Mollie, the delightfully vain mare who steals the audience’s attention with her superficial charm, and later as Moses, the revivalist raven whose flamboyant performance oozes charisma and false hope. Meanwhile, Shoroosh Lavasani's portrayal o...

20Nov

By Anna Ní DhúillNo Comments

North West

1984 – Liverpool Playhouse

In a new adaptation of Orwell’s seminal classic, Theatre Royal Bath productions bring their take on 1984 to Liverpool’s Playhouse. Adapted for stage by Ryan Craig and directed by Lindsay Posner, the meticulous design of the piece means as soon as you enter the auditorium, you step into the authoritative, totalitarian world in which our characters cannot escape. Setting up the Playhouse as a panopticon is an exciting start to a story that has thrilled audiences since first being published in 1949. Sadly, once the houselights dim, the thrill that Orwell constructed is slowly deflated by a meandering, technology-reliant production. It is a truly difficult task to adapt a text that is held up as a modern classic, that the majority of the population has read before they reach their mid-t...

18Oct

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

1984 – Hackney Town Hall

George Orwell’s 1984 comes alive in this site-specific theatre production under the solid eye of Irish director, Jack Reardon. This immersive experience skilfully blends audience participation with the confined setting of Hackney Town Hall’s council chamber and atrium to underscore the novel’s themes of oppression and loss of individuality. The adaptation adeptly condenses the first half of Orwell’s novel, focusing on world-building and intrigue through an induction led by high-ranking Party officer O’Brien (Dominic Carter). A Big Brother rally, complete with patriotic singing, anti-sex league flyering, and party agents probing, welcomes the audience into the dystopian world where every word and movement are monitored under the ever-present eye of Big Brother. The initial slow burn a...

1Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Animal Farm – Hull Truck Theatre

When Snowball the angry, militant “pig” crept menacingly towards me, across the stage of Hull Truck Theatre on Thursday night, I began to think my front-row seat wasn’t such a good thing after all. I was at this popular local theatre to watch a powerful re-telling of George Orwell’s classic, Animal Farm - a book I had never read, but, it being a classic, knew the storyline of. Thankfully, Snowball (Samater Ahmed) spared me, directing his anger at the farm’s owner and his master, Mr Jones. The way Jones ran Manor Farm was not to the animals’ liking nor for their benefit, so they overthrow him, take over and create a new set of rules in which “all animals are equal”. However, it soon becomes apparent that the cleverest farm animals are the pigs - Squealer (Killian Macardle), Napo...

27Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

1984 –Thingwall Community Centre

George Orwell’s dystopian novel, originally published in 1949, is a cautionary tale, drawing on the then recent insights into Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, examining the role of truth and facts within politics and the way in which they are manipulated. This dramatisation is constructed almost entirely from dialogue taken from the original novel. Winston Smith (Zoran Blackie) is in prison, found guilty of Thoughtcrimes against Big Brother. As part of his reconstruction, led by O’Brien (John Maguire), he must re-enact key moments from his past life, with the help of other thought criminals playing key characters including re-enacted versions of himself (John Reynolds) and O’Brien (Kate Mulvihill) as well as Parsons (Michael Silverman) and Charrington (Vicki Griffiths), so that everyo...

30May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

NEWS

Big Brother Is Watching You

Liverpool community theatre company, Thingwall Players, returns following a sold-out panto with an adaption of the science fiction classic Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell, directed by Gateacre based director and playwright David Griffiths. The play will be staged at Thingwall Community Centre in Wavertree, 23rd to 25th June at 7:30pm. Tickets are £10 (£7 Concessions) and available from www.trybooking.co.uk/bpcr Winston Smith is in prison, found guilty of Thoughtcrimes against Big Brother. As part of his reconstruction, he must re-enact key moments from his past life, with the help of other thought criminals, so that everyone can learn from his mistakes. Including his biggest mistake of all: falling in love with Julia. George Orwell's classic dystopia Nineteen Eighty Four...