There is something particularly apt about setting George Orwell’s Animal Farm in Australia. A story about political power, broken promises and the seductive language of equality lends itself rather neatly to our own parliamentary theatre, and Bloomshed’s energetic adaptation makes the most of the connection.
Following its critically acclaimed season at Northcote Town Hall in 2023, this reimagined Animal Farm returns with its sharp political wit and anarchic theatrical energy intact.
With an original script by Elizabeth Brennan and James Jackson, this Animal Farm relocates Orwell’s allegorical tale from Manor Farm to rural Australia, where the animals have reneged on a contract with the government and find themselves caught up in the increasingly absurd machinery of Australian politics. The result is a high-octane, irreverent production that gives Orwell’s familiar story a distinctly local flavour.
Elizabeth Brennan is an imposing Napoleon, capturing the pig’s growing appetite for power with comic confidence, while Lauren Swain’s Squealer is a deliciously slippery exponent of political spin. Laura Aldous brings energy to Snowball, while Syd Brisbane’s Boxer is an endearing and increasingly poignant presence.
Anna Louey’s Mollie provides another comic highlight, with James Jackson, James Malcher, Edan Goodall and Sam Nix completing an energetic ensemble that moves with impressive fluidity between a menagerie of farmyard animals and politicians.
The cleverness of the adaptation lies in recognising that Orwell’s fundamental concerns remain remarkably relevant. The Russian Revolution may provide the original allegory, but Bloomshed finds plenty of contemporary material closer to home.
References to Julia Gillard’s famous misogyny speech land with particular resonance, while the decision to take the story into the Australian Federal Parliament for its climactic second half gives the production an appropriately pointed edge.
Yet this is not a solemn political lecture. Far from it. Bloomshed approaches the material with its characteristic combination of physical comedy, irreverence and theatrical exuberance. Dance breaks, comic choreography, confetti and an almost gleeful willingness to embrace the absurd keep the production moving at a brisk pace.
The humour is broad when it needs to be, but beneath the silliness is a sharp understanding of Orwell’s warning about what happens when revolutionary ideals become subordinate to the ambitions of those who seize power.
The production’s visual and technical elements are equally impressive. Nathan Burmeister and Samantha Hastings’ set and costume design creates a world that is recognisably Australian while allowing the performers to transform rapidly between the farmyard and the corridors of political power. John Collopy’s lighting contributes considerably to the pace and atmosphere, while Justin Gardam’s sound design gives the production an energetic sonic identity.
Animal Farm works best when its political ideas are allowed to emerge through character, comedy and theatrical invention. There is plenty here to enjoy on the surface, but also enough bite to remind us why Orwell’s fable has endured for more than 80 years.
A lively, inventive and thoroughly entertaining adaptation, this Animal Farm proves that Orwell’s old farmyard still has plenty to say about who gets the power, who makes the rules and what happens when nobody is watching.
Animal Farm
Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Wednesday 12 August 2026
Season continues to 22 August 2026
Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
For more information, visit: www.bloomshed.org for details.
Image: The Company of Animal Farm – photo by Sarah Walker | Elizabeth Brennan – photo by Sarah Walker | Syd Brisbane – photo by Sarah Walker | Anna Louey – photo by Sarah Walker
Review: Rohan Shearn