REVIEW: Animal Farm and 1984 - A George Orwell Double Bill at Golden Goose Theatre 9 - 20 July 2024

'gets to the heart of Orwell’s political fable but also brings something new' ★★★★

This is a chance to see two of George Orwell’s most iconic novels, brilliantly adapted for the stage, at one sitting (or book each show separately). Running at a total of 2 hours 40 mins (with a 20 mins interval), it’s a real theatrical treat. Animal Farm has already been on tour to Europe and been awarded ‘best adaptation’ (London Pub Theatre Awards 2023).  The company now returns with their premiere of 1984 in this double bill. 

Animal Farm

Adapted by Paul Stebbings and directed by Gaspard Legendre, with two new cast members, Bastian Tyrko and Jack Herlihy, the show gets to the heart of Orwell’s political fable but also brings something new.

We well remember the novel satirising the events of Russia’s Bolshevik revolution and subsequent betrayal of the people.  In animal farm, the animals rebel and take over the farm. The clever pigs under the benign leadership of Snowball,  promise seven commandments including ‘no animal shall kill another animal’ and ‘all animals are equal’. Eventually these phrases are adapted by the scheming pig, Napoleon, by adding a condition,  ‘no animal shall kill another animal without cause’ and ‘all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’.  While all the other commandments are also shown to be overruled.

Bringing a particular spin on the production, the story is brought up to date with mention of ‘chicken nuggets’, confusing the chickens as they don’t even have ‘nuggets’.   Taking the tone from Orwell’s timeless allegorical masterpiece it explores human nature (personified in the animals), particularly highlighting their greed and love of power but also their cruelty, the obscene treatment of animals. Those of us who still eat meat, might pause and think more deeply about animal welfare.   The show brings out the great suffering and injustice, but what lifts the mood is the treatment and the acting.

Brechtian devices such as placards and short scenes are used, giving a very upbeat pace to the show. It has a very adaptable set, which is often pulled apart and remade, to suggest a barn, a windmill, and other farm buildings.   The actors taking on the roles never totally lose sight of their human appearances but the suggestion of the animals they represent is very strong. It’s not possible here to mention all of these excellent players, but only the most striking.   Tony Wadham as Old Major, the revolutionary pig (who is shot) and Boxer, the enormous carthorse, helped to bring poignancy to the work. He gave a very convincing performance as the hardworking horse, whose role in life is to work and not to think. This animal remembers how the revolution promised good things and questions the lies, but allows himself to be hoodwinked, making his death, a particularly bitter betrayal. Bastian Tyrko managed to convey much, as an exceptionally expressive dog, and Janiks Babidorics made a really chilling Napoleon becoming more gentrified as the piece went on.

Golden Goose is a very informal space, and just the place for such provocative theatre.   

Read our review of 1984 here 

Animal Farm and 1984 - A George Orwell Double Bill at

Golden Goose Theatre, Camberwell SE5

9 - 20 July 2024

Box Office https://www.goldengoosetheatre.co.uk/whatson/animal-farm-and-1984---a-george-orwell-double-bill

Animal Farm Cast

Tony Wadham - Boxer/Old Major

Gerald Dorrity - Snowball/Whymper/Goose

Bastian Tyrko - Dog/Squealer

Jack Herlihy - Farmer Jones/Cow/Crow

Janeks Babidorics - Napoleon

Animal Farm Creative Team

Gaspard Legendre - Director

Paul Stebbings - Writer

John Kenny - Music