THEATRE TOURS INTERNATIONAL
ANIMAL FARM
11-15 FEB | 7.30 PM
Performed by Sam Blythe
Adapted and directed by Guy Masterson
(with original direction by Tony Boncza)
From the book by George Orwell
Celebrating 70 years of its publication and 30 since its first performance, Guy Masterson's globally renowned solo adaptation of Orwell's barnyard masterpiece is performed by the brilliant Sam Blythe.
Bringing all of Orwell's multiple characters to vivid life, Blythe gives us Snowball, Napoleon, Squealer, Boxer, Clover, Mollie, Benjamin, Muriel, the Sheep, Dogs, Cows, Hens - and, of course, the cat - in a spellbinding performance that will shock, enchant, bewitch and bewilder, and linger long in the memory, ringing out Orwell's prescient warning that politicians through the ages, and of all creeds and colours will often let power corrupt them... and sometimes corrupt them absolutely...
Using nothing but a bale of hay, a bowler hat and a whip, some amazing sound effects and superb physical and vocal dexterity, Orwell's allegorical masterpiece is brought vividly to life in an unforgettable tour-de-force by the multi-talented Sam Blythe.
Peppered with contemporary political references, it still packs a modern sinister relevance, hammering home Orwell's central message of betrayed idealism and abuse of power...
This brilliant adaptation gets to the heart of the barnyard classic, maintaining its original textual structure and style in a powerful multi-character performance that makes the tale theatrical, accessible, and breathtakingly exciting. PERFECT FOR ALL AUDIENCES!
BOOKING INFORMATION
General Admission £22
Concession (Unemployed / Under 30 / Student / State Pension) £18
Access for All (with a complementary ticket for a carer or a friend) £15
Note: Please contact boxoffice@theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk for your complementary ticket for a career/companion/friend
Duration: 110min
Interval:
Content Warnings: tbc
Recommended for All
"ANIMAL MAGIC! The tale ignites, bringing both humour and sinister aspect to the rhetoric of the upwardly mobile pigs!"
(The Herald)
"This brilliant adaptation gets to the heart of Orwell's barnyard classic, maintaining his original textual structure and style in a powerful multi-character performance that makes the book accessible and exciting. Animal Magic!"
(The Times)
"A brilliant adaptation which delights with its physical grace and artistry. Complex and entirely theatrical, a combination of bravura acting and poetic storytelling that brings new nuance and meaning"
(The Scotsman)
★★★★★ British Theatre Guide ★★★★★ Bristol Post
★★★★★ Adelaide Theatre Guide ★★★★★ Bath Chronicle
★★★★★ Adelaide Arts Hub ★★★★★ Bath Magazine
★★★★★ FringeReview ★★★★★ Kansas City Star
★★★★★ The Fix Adelaide ★★★★★ Adelaide Independent
★★★★★ RipItUp Adelaide ★★★★★ The Fix Adelaide
★★★★★ The Heckler Adelaide ★★★★★ Australian Theatre Online
CAST | CREATIVES | PRODUCTION TEAM
Sam Blythe
Performer
Sam graduated in 2012 from Arts Ed, and has since worked on stage, screen and voice.
Notable theatre credits include: Charles Dickens in The Great Christmas Feast (The Lost Estate); Alfie Solomons in the award-winning Peaky Blinders: The Rise (Immersive Everywhere); ?The Doctor in Doctor Who: Time Fracture (Immersive Everywhere).
He has also been a prominent member of renowned immersive theatre company Secret Cinema, performing in productions such as Stranger Things, Casino Royale, Dr. Strangelove, Victoria, 28 Days
Animal Farm marks Sam's second solo work, the first being Method In My Madness, - a one man Hamlet - which premiered at EdFringe 2024.
Guy Masterson
Director | Dramaturg
LAMDA & UCLA trained, and actor, director, writer and producer of 40+ years. A 27 year veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe, he has presented over 150 plays and is associated with many of its biggest hits. He has performed 11 solo plays including Under Milk Wood, Animal Farm, Shylock and A Christmas Carol,  and has given over 5000 solo performances globally since 1992.
He won The Stage Best Actor Award in 2001 for Fern Hill & Other Dylan Thomas and has received a further 4 nominations for his solo work. He has also directed 27 solos including the 2010 Olivier winning Morecambe. Most recently, he directed the Olivier nominated West End hit, The Shark Is Broken which has opened on Broadway on August 10. He is married to Brigitta and father to Indigo and Tallulah.