Animal Farm: the View from the Cast

“My favourite aspect has been exploring the style of the production and the way we incorporated folk and working-class elements. The use of music and costume was particularly valuable, as it helped me to develop a clearer understanding of how my character would evolve in response to the historical period in which the play is set.”

“…doing the group rehearsals with the whole cast! I have thoroughly enjoyed blocking scenes and working as a company with my peers and friends!”

“⁠I’ve really enjoyed getting to form friendships with more people, which has enabled me to take inspiration for other’s acting styles.”

 

“It’s got to be the staging. It’s challenging to stage complex, often group scenes, all the while considering that we’re playing animals – but it’s been a lot of fun finding ways around it which really bring the play to life.”

 

“Although obviously acting and trying out different ways to deliver lines or reactions is always so much fun, I think the best part of any rehearsal is when I get to watch other actors perform their scenes. It may not seem like much, but not only is it interesting to watch them bring their character to life, but watching them make active choices during the scene about anything from line delivery, facial expressions, or improv is always useful, as they may do something I had never thought of, which enhances my performance. This is especially true with Animal Farm, where every single character is so distinctly separate and symbolic of completely different groups/people.”

“What has interested me most is how, in the second half of the play, she emerges as one of the farm’s hidden leaders. Although Napoleon becomes the public face of the changes taking place, Nutmeg openly challenges these decisions and puts forward her own ideas about the future direction of the farm.”

“The thing which most interests me about my character is the fact that they are observing the whole play as well as being a part of the farm. To me this is really fascinating and I have loved blocking the Milo scenes where the contribution has come from everyone!”

” ⁠⁠I like getting to play a comedic role in a largely serious piece as I am able to be more joking and playful with my character.”

“I’ve been most interested by Squealer’s demeanour – he is physically quite timid yet mentally very sharp, and unafraid to provoke his superiors. It was very interesting trying to capture his malice as well as his feigned authenticity which he leans on more and more throughout the show.”

“Minty is a really interesting character to play; I think the complete contrast between his personality and the fact that he is a sheep makes him an intriguing character both to play and to watch. I enjoyed the challenge of working out how to portray the opposite sides of Minty’s being simultaneously, whilst also trying to decipher how he changes throughout the course of the play as various events unfold. Figuring out who he trusts most on the farm and his memories of the “old” Manor Farm compared to this new Animal Farm were essential for me to better understand how he would react to certain things and “animals”.

Minty’s confrontational personality comes from the fact that he is the only sheep on the farm, after the slaughtering of the rest of his flock, which left him broken, devastated and alone. It’s a defence mechanism he developed, never letting himself get close to anyone again. Despite this, Clover becomes a mother figure for him, and he becomes the “resident teenager”: moody, arrogant, and lashing out. Although he struggles to show it, he loves everyone on the farm (even Blue); they are his adoptive family and essentially brought him up, and he’s left even more shattered by the end of the play than he is at the beginning.”

“I have learned the importance of relying on others while also maintaining personal responsibility and focus. Understanding that everyone is working towards the same goal, to create a production we can all be proud of, has been a valuable and rewarding experience.”

“I have learnt from this and other shows I have done with SLT, the importance of looking into your character and how they would react to certain circumstances. I have also learnt how to work as an ensemble and create a piece of work which I will remember for years to come!”

“⁠⁠I’ve heavily increased my confidence since joining SLT, and have largely been able to improve my acting technique”.

“I’ve learnt a lot participating in this show about movement and interpreting a character. Playing a role is so much more than delivering lines but showing the character’s thoughts and feelings at any given moment, which being a part of Animal Farm has really helped me appreciate.”

“Taking part in this production with SLT has taught me about the importance of knowing one’s character. So many of Minty’s moments in the play come from an idea I had, something I discussed with directors Greg and Mattea. I think going beyond what’s written in the script is something that can only make a play better and, while it can vary from a simple look to a whole new line or moment added, it makes the play as unique and diverse as the cast and creators who helped create it.”

“Seeing the production come together is always a highlight for me. Witnessing all of our hard work unified into a final performance is an extremely fulfilling and memorable experience.”

“I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in the process – it’s been hard work but a really fun, constructive environment which I’ve loved working in. It’s a pleasure to be involved in what I know will be a great run of performances, and I hope the end product speaks to the time, effort and fun we’ve had putting this together.”