Musical: Animals ~ A musical revel-ution

"Animals" is a full-length musical based on George Orwell’s Animal Farm.  As a free adaptation for the stage, it has nine songs. There are also instrumentals and a sequence with rhythmic choral verse.  There are 22 roles, though the cast may have more non-speaking parts. There is opportunity for move-ment sequences, dance, costuming and make-up.  The story has many contrasting individual roles, as well as ensemble work.

"Animals", as with the novel, has relevance for any democracy.

"Animals" was written in the early 1980s and schools that have performed it include Hottentots-Holland High School, Somerset West; Rhenish Girls High School, Stellenbosch;  Rustenburg Girls High School, Rosebank, Cape Town, Dale College, Queenstown and Lincoln International, Kathmandu, Nepal.

The original music and lyrics of  "Animals" were written by Willem van der Walt, with additional songs and material by Michael Williams.  The arrangement with additional music was done by Allan Stephenson.

Of the musical, the writers said

George Orwell’s "Animal Farm", together with Swift’s "Gulliver’s Travels", must rank amongst the greatest satires in the English language.  As an allegorical exposé of Stalinist communism as well as other totalitarian regimes, it is a rich field for the dramatist and the director of plays.  Adding music, drama and dance can only amplify the potential of the work.  In Orwell’s "fairy tale", as he calls it, by no means only for children, comedy, pathos, despair and hope, tragedy and triumph make for a mix of profound irony.  Ever present too, is the possibility of conflict, especially in the depiction of its diverse characters.

It is hoped that with this relatively free adaptation, justice is done to spirit of Orwell’s stark and affecting story.

Further information regarding "Animals"

• The running time is 90 minutes
• eight soloists
• a contemporary mix of blues, jazz, rock and Gospel
• scored for piano and electric bass
• backing track available
• rights for performance and further information contact musicmakers@netactive.co.za