The story, for those who haven’t heard it before, is about a group of farm animals that, neglected and mistreated, unite against there human masters. Their intention is to run the farm themselves following a strict code of animal rules – with one main mantra ‘all animals are equal.’ But wherever there is power, corruption and greed inevitably follow. George Orwell’s political masterpiece translates well into any medium, be it book, play, film or, in this case, a one man show.
Gary Shelford, with only a wooden chest as a prop, brilliantly portrays the dozens of characters from the book, managing to find ways of making each creature as unique and memorable as possible, be it a sheep that bares more than a passing resemblance to Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard or a deceitful pig that sounds worryingly similar to Tony Blair.
One of the reasons that Animal Farm has stood the test of time is because what it has to say about politics is as contemporary now as it was when written. What Shelford has managed to do is subtly modernise the tale with references of weapons of mass castration and other political jibes.
The performance is brilliant and engaging, but it ultimately loses a star for its excessive two-hour running time. It’s clearly exhausting for the performer but it is also rather draining on the audience. If Shelford´s Animal Farm returns for a fifth year, could I propose a slight re-edit to a less challenging running time?
3/5
Martin Miller
