George Orwell’s Animal Farm

With their home in Singapore, Conundrum Theatre’s vibrant production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, part of the Adelaide Festival Fringe, was full of energy, heart and creativity. Adapted by Van Badham and directed and designed by Ruby Award winners Claire Glenn and Anthony Kelly, this 90-minute production, presented at The Garage International @ Adelaide Town Hall, provided the audience with the essence of Orwell’s political fable but propelled into the modern age with a sense of playfulness and potency.

From the moment the doors opened, and the audience entered the space, the youthful ensemble greeted its guests with snorts, whinnies, baas, tweets and clucks of all sorts. The ‘animals’ paraded around the auditorium climbing on chairs and curiously investigating their visitors with a palpable vitality that instantly transported the spectators to the animal farm.

What made this performance especially impressive was the remarkable commitment shown by such a young and relatively inexperienced cast. Conundrum Theatre’s mission to empower young people creatively is central to their work. They provide theatre classes and performance opportunities that nurture confidence, collaboration and expressive risk-taking and these values were seen playing out onstage with the actors embracing the big ask of Animal Farm’s satirical rigour with enthusiasm and precision that belied their age.

Claire Glenn’s direction ensured the ensemble maintained a brisk pace with the precise timing that is essential in a piece that lives in satire. This was complemented by the clever use of space which invited the audience to become a part of the setting as the characters performed in and around the seating. Each beat of rebellion and betrayal landed, and moments of humour connected with the audience as the laughter was audible. A clear highlight for the viewers was the cast’s entertaining and polished choreography of a cleverly placed recital of “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads.

This script demanded its performers carry both the weight of allegory and the levity of satire and Conundrum’s cast rose to the challenge, which is a testament to the supportive, creative environment that the company fosters. In all, this adaption blended Orwell’s core themes of power and corruption with the influence of digital culture and social media, and the result was Animal Farm for our moment.

Peta Bojanic