Leeds Playhouse, Stratford East and Nottingham Playhouse have announced the full cast and creative team for Animal Farm. Tatty Hennessy’s fresh adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian classic explores loss of identity, the seductive allure of greed, and the corrupting nature of political power.
In the year Orwell’s political fable marks its 80th anniversary, Amy Leach directs Tianah Hodding (Clover), Shakeel Kimotho (Mollie), Robin Morrissey (Snowball), David Nellist (Benjamin), Tachia Newall (Napoleon), Gabriel Paul (Boxer), Em Prendergast (Milo), Everal A Walsh (Old Major), Farshid Rokey (Minty), Brydie Service (Clara), Tom Simper (Squealer), Kaya Ulasli (Jones), and Joshua-Alexander Williams (Blue).
Animal Farm runs at Stratford East from Friday 7 February – Saturday 8 March 2025 before transferring to Leeds Playhouse from Wednesday 12 – Saturday 29 March 2025, and Nottingham Playhouse from Wednesday 2 – Saturday 12 April 2025.
Director Amy Leach, who is Deputy Artistic Director at Leeds Playhouse, said: “I can’t wait to start exploring Orwell’s timeless fable with this incredible group of people. Their insights and energy will enable us to delve deeper into themes that relate to the unequal world we live in now, to the challenges we face when power goes unchecked, and unity is mired in division.
“Working together with these amazing actors on Tatty Hennessy’s fresh interpretation of this landmark allegorical story is going to be a real treat. Animal Farm might be celebrating its 80th anniversary, but our superb creative team and I are creating a recognisable and relatable industrial landscape for our cast to explore. It’s going to be a beautiful, challenging journey for us all.”
Animal Farm features a cast that includes deaf and disabled performers, reflecting the production’s dedication to ensuring inclusion is an integral and celebrated part of the storytelling and creative process. Creative audio description will be available from the Stratford press night onwards, offering live, sensory-rich narratives for visually impaired audiences, and every performance will have integrated BSL, seamlessly weaving British Sign Language into the storytelling.
The creative team is completed by Set & Costume Designer Hayley Grindle; Lighting Designer Jai Morjaria; Sound Designer Khalil Madovi; Movement Director Kane Husbands; Casting Director Lucy Casson CDG; Fight Director Kate Waters; Assistant Director Jordi M. Carter; Deaf Creative/BSL Consultant Stephen Collins; Audio Description Consultants Vicky Ackroyd and Esther Irving; Integrated BSL Interpreter Rachael Merry; and Lead BSL Interpreter Sarah Cox.
