Animal Farm
DRAMA// SCHOOL PRODUCTION
Animal Farm played to packed
houses across three nights in
November. It was a visceral, exciting
and fast-moving interpretation of
George Orwell’s novel, in which
the animals were played without
masks by mud-covered, boiler-suit
wearing students.
The use of gospel music was one of the
many highlights and had the audiences
standing, singing and clapping along at
the end. The set was extraordinary: a
farmyard, complete with agricultural
machinery and straw bales.
Reviews have been the best the School
has received. All credit to the terrific
cast, not least to the Headmaster Mark
Ronan who took on the role of Mr
Jones convincingly, alongside teacher
Adam Hall who played Old Major.
Mr Ronan praised Head of Drama Alan
Heaven for his clarity of vision and calm
approach as director. He added: “Alan
gave us a clear framework but also gave
us space as actors to engage with the
process of developing the play. He was
supportive and positive throughout,
which made it a pleasure to be part of
the cast.”
84
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
This was an outstanding piece of
theatre: original, intelligent and relevant
for all of us today, with its references to
walls between countries, the rise of far
right and far left groups; migration;
dictatorships; modern slavery; tribalism;
and the power of articulate educated
people to control the inarticulate and
under-educated.
The play, which was performed in
the Tom Stoppard Theatre, was an
unforgettable experience for the cast,
crew and audience alike.
This was an extraordinary event,
even by the very high standards of
Pocklington School Drama.
Packed into 90 minutes of high-energy
movement was the plot of George
Orwell’s novel, reworked by director
Alan Heaven into a parable for our
times and transformed into a play
worthy of any professional theatre. It
was utterly gripping.
Basically, Manor Farm is run by Mr
Jones, who has allowed it to become run
down. The oldest pig Old Major (Mr Hall
from History) delivers a speech warning
the animals that if they
don’t take control of
their lives through
revolution they will
end up starving or
dead. Inspired by this,
they run Mr Jones
off the farm and take
control
themselves.
First Snowball (Ellie-
Mae Rooke) is in
charge and plans to
build a windmill to
help everyone. Once
she brings in refugee
animals, her opponent
Napoleon uses the
Rave reviews for the
school production...
dogs to seize control and replace her.
From then on Animal Farm becomes a
place of slavery as Napoleon does a deal
with Mr Jones and sells him wood and
fresh meat.
Mr Ryan’s set was wonderful. He
constructed a farm in the theatre,
complete with rusty old machinery,
huge piles of straw bales (all fire-safety
checked!), a house and best of all a floor
covered in soil, straw and think mud
which the actors used liberally. The
room smelt of outdoors. Mrs White’s
costumes were very convincing for the
farmers and we could watch the gradual
transformation of the pigs into ‘people’
through the changes in their clothing.
The quality of acting was very high.
Having the Headmaster Mark Ronan
as Mr Jones was a bold choice but
what a great performance he gave. He
shambled and limped about and spoke
with a gruff Yorkshire accent that gave
his character depth. Just as bold were
the actors who had to pin him against
a wall and chase him off, although I
suppose he had his own back later when
he slaughtered them with shotguns in
two powerful scenes.
Everyone moved with conviction,
reacting suddenly to the pounding blows
of steel which punctuated the play and
kept actors and audience alert and on
edge. There were no false noses, masks
or face paints in this play, everything
was shown by the way they stood and
reacted. But the star was undoubtedly
Napoleon, played by James Harrison.
He portrayed a cruel leader whose
calm delivery of torture was horrific
and who could deliver a rallying speech
as powerfully as any dictator. His
transformation of the animals’ defeat
into a claim that they were actually
victorious while banners proclaiming
him as ‘Father’ and saviour unfurled
about him was a great moment.
“…would do credit to any professional
production that I have ever seen.”