Award winning adaptation of Animal Farm hits the stage
AFTER a year off the road thanks to the pandemic, shake and stir theatre company are keen to be back on stage and bringing their award winning production of George Orwell’s intensely powerful novel to Frankston Arts Centre.
Co-artistic director Nelle Lee explains it is not just about performing, but performing for and engaging with audiences, which is an essential ethos of the company, “It’s important to be able to offer programs to regional Australia as well as those metro cities. For a company like ours, it’s essential that we maintain that touring circuit, which is such a big part of what we do.”
shake & stir actors in “Animal Farm”.
Theatre / Animal Farm, adapted by Nick Skubij, directed by Michael Futcher, shake & stir theatre co, Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse, to May 8. Reviewed by
LEN POWER.
GEORGE Orwell’s novella “Animal Farm” may be 77 years old now, but its message is still relevant today and maybe more so.
Just think of Donald Trump’s “fake news”, the North Korea of Kim Jong-un, the frightening persuasiveness of our social media, and so on.
If you feel uncomfortable watching it, it’s because the events portrayed are not so far from our current world. The theatre production by shake & stir is bold and breathtaking, capturing the spirit of the story in theatrical terms extremely well.
After Betty Russellâs passing on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Homewood in Martinsburg, her niece Marcia Rogish of Bedford, is looking back on her auntâs life and the example she set for others.
âBetty Louise Manspeaker was born in Cumberland, for the grand sum of $92.75 as the hospitalâs fee,â said Rogish. âShe was so worth that, and so much more.â
Russell was born on Oct. 2, 1924 and is the daughter of the late Grace (Forman) and Frank Manspeaker.
âMy best memories of her are about her spirit,â said Rogish. âHer âcan doâ unassuming nature. Her knowing that she could do anything she tried, and she did this at a time when it was harder for women to have opportunities in the world of science.â