★★★★☆
On Wednesday night, Bloomshed opened a new season of Animal Farm, based on the novella by George Orwell, at Melbourne Arts Centre’s Fairfax Studio. Presenting at first blush as a bombastic, comedic take on the literary classic, Animal Farm manages to deliver a surprisingly potent message on our current times.
Bloomshed is a close-knit company of performers who have been creating devised theatre since 2012. Their primary interest is to explore present-day political issues through the lens of theatre. Their adaptation of Animal Farm is no exception, diverting from the novella’s look at the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin in the 1940s to instead look at current-day Australia.
For those not familiar with the original work: Animal Farm tells the story of a farm owned and operated by a drunkard farmer, Mr Jones, who makes the lives of the farm animals miserable.
Following the death of the elderly boar Old Major, two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, orchestrate a rebellion against Mr Jones, and the animals successfully run him and his family off the farm.
For a time, the animals live in utopian bliss under a new political structure they dub ‘Animalism.’ This utopia does not last, however, as Napoleon overthrows Snowball as the leader of the farm, and he subverts and twists the doctrines of Animalism to suit himself, turning the rest of the animals’ lives into misery.
Bloomshed’s take on the tale sticks largely to the original story, but it is performed in an unexpected way. There is a heightened comedic sensibility to the show, which may take audiences a moment to warm into. Old Major is depicted at the start of the production with a head in the fashion of Peppa Pig, and the opening sequence is punctuated with the sounds of a rubber chicken being squeezed.
There are delightfully choreographed dance numbers, witty back-and-forths between performers, and a beautiful rendition of Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. Everything is heightened to make light of the sheer absurdity of the situation, and to that end all choices prove effective.
In the third act of the show, Bloomshed surprises the audience with an unexpected twist. The original narrative is scuttled partway through, and we are taken to a completely original sequence that grounds the narrative of Animal Farm in our current time and place. In doing so, it reminds us that Orwell’s novella was always much more than just about Stalin.
Elizabeth Brennan delivers a delightfully filthy performance as Napoleon, regularly stealing scenes with the character’s mischievous antics. Lauren Swain accompanies Brennan as Napoleon’s conniving, fast-talking spokesperson, Squealer, in a perfectly slimy performance.
James Malcher, Edan Goodall, Laura Aldous, Anna Louey and Sam Nix each play a variety of roles. These performers as a unit are undoubtedly the show’s backbone, as they flesh out scenes as various farm animals and other characters integral to the show’s final scene.
It is Syd Brisbane, however, who stole the hearts of the audience on opening night. As the aged horse Boxer, Brisbane becomes the emotional lens through which we witness the true impact of the dystopia Napoleon has created.
On the technical side, sound design by Justin Gardam is a major standout. Motifs like the rubber chicken squawks teamed with a strong soundtrack create an exceptionally strong atmosphere.
Nathan Burmeister’s set gives the cast lots of dimension to play with. The addition of the mirror upstage adds much to the visual presentation of the production. Lighting by John Collopy is appropriately restrained for the most part but dazzles up some of the bigger scenes of the performance.
Bloomshed’s Animal Farm is a must-see adaptation for our times. It is funny and frequently absurd, but underneath the laughter is a message that lands with uncomfortable force.
Animal Farm is presented by Bloomshed and runs to 22 August at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne.
It then runs 3 – 5 September at the Canberra Theatre Centre.
Tickets: https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2026/theatre/animal-farm
Website: https://www.bloomshed.org/animal-farm-1
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/thebloomshed/ and https://www.instagram.com/artscentremelbourne/
Photo credits: Sarah Walker
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