Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 14th of August 2023

4 stars – Dark, intense frenzy

In Mr Jones’s farm, the pigs have taken over. Unlike humans, pigs say they deserve food because it keeps them alive to organise the other animals and protect them against the bipeds. ‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’

For this theatrical transposition of George Orwell’s novel, the director Luigi Facchino has chosen a dark, heavy atmosphere where the colour red is dominant and violence is always about to be unleashed. The language of physical theatre is powerful, as are the spot-on connections to the present and to other cultural products.

The work of the actors (Francesco Latorre, Francesco de Pinto, Marco De Letteriis, Alessandro Valerio, Luigi Facchino, members of Torre del Drago theatre company) to pursue animal forms is remarkable. They do not look for an imitation of the animal, but suggest the animal forms in their own bodies. In particular, a special mention has to go to Francesco Latorre (Squealer) for his impeccable physical work.

The kind of physical theatre work that is brought on scene adds an extra layer to Orwell’s text: humans are not only playing the animals in the farm and acting out their crude story, but also, humans are staging their more animalistic sides. On top of this, Orwell’s satirical rhetoric and intention are never forgotten in the performance.

The choice of popular songs increases the rhythm of the scenes, while the use of on-scene illumination creates troubling, heavy shadows. There are flaws in some of the choreographed moments, and movements could sometimes be sharper, but the performance is nonetheless a very strong piece.

Info and tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/orfarm-animal-farm

Instagram: https://instagram.com/orfarm_animal_farm