Animal Farm

Being an avid theatre fan, I am used to being fully aware the plot and themes of a show before I even walk into the theatre. However, when I was invited by A Place for Us to attend their production of Animal Farm, I was torn between researching the plot and characters, or going in completely blind. I chose the latter, and I am glad I did. For those who are not familiar with the story (much like me before watching this production), the show follows farm animals who overthrow their human owner in pursuit of equality, only for the pigs—led by Napoleon—to seize power and become just as oppressive. This is, in my opinion, a heavy show for a youth group to take on, but the Young Actors Company within A Place for Us performed with more commitment and professionalism than I have seen from some adult companies.

Upon entering the Studio Theatre within The Brindley, we were immediately introduced to the setting for the show – the farm. Partnered with some light audio of birds chirping and soft music, this perfectly set the atmosphere. The focal point of this setting for me was the red fabric hanging down from ceiling to floor, very much giving the impression of dripping blood. Straight away the audience knew this was going to be a darker, more sinister experience. Alongside this was a ladder, a small platform towards the back of the stage and some small props scattered around. While very simple and minimalistic, this proved to be effective in pulling the main focus to the cast. This also works very well for the space as the Studio does not have any wings side of stage for bringing on set/props.

The show began with the cast out of view, down the sides of the raised seating, making a plethora of farm animal sounds. This then crescendoed into chanting a motif which appeared many times throughout the show, which was always perfectly timed from the cast, not one of them missing a beat. It was also paired with fitting music at various points which, again, was spot on in terms of cues and timing. This was brilliantly put together by Composer, Chris Bastock. Directors Chris Brett and Kate Allerston have done a fantastic job with this show, clearly spending a lot of time with the young actors working on their physicality. The blocking throughout the production worked really well for separating the different types of animals in the farm and, eventually, the division between the oppressive pigs and the rest of the herd.

Following on front the strong opening of the show, we were introduced to Old Major, played by Lauren Yensen. This was a fantastic performance from Lauren, who really commanded the attention of the audience and perfectly played the older and wiser aspects of the role. Slowly but surely taking over the “leader” role after Old Major is murdered are Napoleon and Snowball, played by Paige O’Toole and Marianne Bebb. Both gave outstanding performances, fully committing to their roles. Paige’s change in demeanour throughout the show was exactly what was needed to convey the story of the pigs taking over as the oppressors. Marianne’s performance was filled with so much anger and emotion, it really made the audience feel sorry for Snowball being used as the scapegoat during the later parts when she appeared off to the side. Joining Old Major, Napoleon and Snowball in the group of Pigs were Arianna Moore as Hench and Leighton Danks as Minimus. The group all worked well together, bouncing off each others’ energy and being in perfect harmony as a team.

Lucy Parker took on the role of the Raven, who acted as a Narrator throughout. Her elegant and sweeping movements really added to the character. There were many times when Lucy was sitting and spectating the scenes around her, but she consistently remained in character. A shout out must also go to Kian Holbrook in the role of Boxer, the horse. The way he held himself instantly showed us the animal he was portraying, and he was constantly giving small movements and gestures even when the focus was not on him in the scene.

The cast as a whole really threw themselves into their roles, adopting animal-like movements, noises and personalities throughout. I am extremely impressed that a group of young actors took on these roles with such confidence and conviction, with no hint of being “embarrassed” or “looking silly” which a lot of young people, in my experience, do feel. There were a handful of moments throughout where the odd performer did seem to drop character or appeared to be unsure of what they were doing, but this was always quickly rectified.

This was an incredibly high standard of production brought to life by A Place for Us, and they have a cast of very talented young actors. I am excited to see what the future brings. A Place for Us work so hard to get young people involved in the arts, and it is a pleasure to watch their company grow and receive grants in order to fund these projects. Many youths in the area simply do not have access to any performing arts groups without having to pay for them, so it is great to see this being implemented within District 8.

Huge thanks go to the team at A Place for Us for their invite to Animal Farm and I wish them the best of luck with their future projects and productions.

 

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