Marking 80 years since the publication of Animal Farm, this stage adaptation by Ian Wooldridge, directed by Iqbal Khan (East is East, Birmingham Rep & National Theatre), comes to Liverpool Playhouse from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 April.
With so many of its themes still relevant today, Animal Farm is Orwell’s enduring and devastating satire on the corruption of power, highlighting inequality in society and showing how some are more equal than others.
Animal Farm director, Iqbal Khan said:
“At its heart Animal Farm has such a powerful and important message, even 80 years on from when Orwell first wrote the book, and I am delighted we have such an incredibly talented cast of actors and creatives to share this new vision for this vital story.”
The cast includes Sam Black (Animal Farm, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre and Hull Truck, Cyrano De Bergerac, Harold Pinter Theatre and BAM New York) as Boxer; Natalia Campbell (The Tempest, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Tartuffe, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Birmingham Rep) as Old Major and Clover; Olivia Chandler (Animal Farm, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre and Hull Truck, Around the World in 80 Days, Octagon Theatre Bolton) as Mollie; Lewis Griffin (All of Us, National Theatre, Comedy of Errors, Royal Shakespeare Company) as Squealer; Soroosh Lavasani (UK tour of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre and Kenny Wax, Romeo & Juliet, Red Rose Chain) as Snowball; Rhian Lynch (Peter Pan The Musical, Birmingham Old Rep Theatre, Miss Popplewell’s Garden, The Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company) as Napoleon.
Completing the cast is Kai Spellman (Around the World in 80 Days, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Ali and Dahlia, Pleasance Theatre) as Male Swing as well as being Associate Director for the production; and Heather Porte (Jack and the Beanstalk, Oxford Playhouse, The Lost Present, Topsy Turvy Theatre) as Female Swing.
The full creative team includes: Iqbal Khan (director); Ciaran Bagnall (set and lighting designer); Gerry Marsden (sound designer); Su Newell (costume designer and supervisor); Shelley Eva Haden (movement director); Dylan Towley (composer).
When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master, they imagine it is the beginning of a new life of freedom and equality. However, over time they find themselves ensnared as one tyranny is quickly replaced with another.
Animal Farm is an Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre Production. This production is at the Liverpool Playhouse from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 April 2025. Ticket prices range from £11 to £36. Tickets are available at www.everymanplayhouse.com/event/animal-farm/
Categories: 2025 | News | Theatre & Performance
