Adam Lambert as Squealer, centre, addresses other cast members in Animal Farm. Picture by Peter Boam.
STAGE REVIEW
A PICTURE of human suffering was painted by Cowes High School students, who performed George Orwell’s classic political allegory, Animal Farm.
Sell-out shows were held at the school and Quay Arts, Newport. The 35-strong cast included Joe Ashworth as Napoleon, Chloe Savill as Snowball and Adam Lambert as Squealer, with Bradley Barnley and Rupert Proctor as narrators.
Adapted by acclaimed director and playwright Peter Hall in the 1980s, the production, a comment on human suffering at the hands of a communist regime, also included musical numbers performed by the school band.
Performing arts students played key roles behind the scenes, helping with stage management, costume, set design and choreography. Some clever carpentry and design work helped transform the stage into a convincingly rundown farmyard, where the play’s overworked animals were kept by farmer Mr Jones, before their revolution changes everything.
Reporter: emilyp@iwcpmail.co.uk