"Animal Farm" by George Orwell

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Most people know this classic piece of literature and have probably seen a stage production at some stage in their lives. It's also one of those books that is oft studied by children while at school, which also makes it a perfect piece of theatre for any age group, without knowing what the real story is all about. I know when I first read the book as a child, I was not completely fully aware of the political background of the text, but enjoyed it as a brilliant story about farm animals.

Originally Orwell based the story on the events of Russia’s Bolshevik revolution and the betrayal of the cause by Joseph Stalin. It rang true back in 1945 when first printed, and how apt is the timing for this tour with what is going on in the world!

This production is a fresh re-imagining of the fable, and it's this re-imagining that keeps stories like this as sparkling as the first time you read the book. In this production though, it was brought home to me the mindless violence of the play, especially shocking through the slow-motion sections, and through the lighting design by Jon Clark.

For those who have not come across this classic, the story is of a revolution created by some of the senior animals of Manor Farm. Together they all drive Mr Jones, the farmer, out and the farm is then run with the most powerful of the farm animals, the pigs, in charge. Old Major, the prize boar, round the animals up and conclude that “all animals are equal", with a later amendment to the rule, "but some animals are more equal than others”. It's the aftermath of this revolution that causes more issues than what the animals thought that they had previously, when the farmer was in charge.

The pigs slowly use fear to control the others and slowly break every commandment that they had originally put in place, including ridding the farm of any animal who dared to go against their rulings, in quite a dramatic and frightening way. With every death, the name of the animal and how they died is flashed up on stage, as much a warning as notification of passing.

The cast includes Ashleigh Cheadle, Matt Churcher, Darcy Collins, Enrico D. Wey, Ailsa Dalling, Elisa De Grey, Edie Edmundson, Michael Jean-Marain, Rayo Patel, Yana Penrose, Markus Schabbing, Sharon Sze, Ben Thompson, Jonathan Dryden Taylor and Matt Tait. I mention them but you very soon forget they are on stage because, as with any good puppetry, you don't see the puppeteer, only the character puppet.

This brand-new production features puppetry by Toby Olié, who has worked on "War Horse" and "Goodnight Mr Tom". From the smallest bird to the giant horse, Boxer, you forget that these creatures are puppets with every nuance of the particular creature noted and used, creating a beautiful physicality per animal.

The puppeteers mainly are not creating the voices for the puppets, and I am not sure whether that makes their job easier or not. Whatever, it's an amazing production with some recognisable voices for the animals. Voices featuring Garry Cooper, Robert Glenister, Kevin Harvey, Joshua Higgott, Heather Long, Amaka Okafor, David Rintoul, Matthew Spencer, Juliet Stevenson and Hara Yannas.

Adapted and directed by Robert Icke, he injects a feeling of menace and terror which grows with the status of the pigs, and when Boxer is taken away, you feel a real pang of sorrow for the old horse. Icke also introduces miniature sections in the play to create a wider view. We see the farmers' cars entering the farm and driving around the farm buildings and Boxer in miniature to show the expanse of the fields he is working in.

There are lovely injections of comedy in here though, especially with the conversation between the two chickens.

The set is designed by four-time Olivier award-winner Bunny Christie. Scenes are changed by sliding sections and complete black-outs, just like watching a film as opposed to being a stage presentation.

The sound design, by Tom Gibbons, is almost Wagnerian with the slightly depressing approaching menace feel and adds perfectly to the dark themes laid down by Orwell.

It is often frustrating when a production that isn't that long, as this one isn't, decides to have an interval inserted. I am really pleased to say that this isn't the case with this production and we get to settle into the story without having to break off mid-way. At the end of the production, it really did not seem that we had seen the whole ninety minutes.

A tribute to everyone involved for puppet mastering the audience, controlling the audience, allowing us to be swept along with this wonderful story and engaging us in every deed and action being played out on stage. The cast hypnotise you and then breaks the spell only at the end, when you blink and wonder where the time went from the first scene to the final bows.

As a child you are enthralled with animals that speak. As an adult you can see the obvious comparisons, not only with what is happening in Russia and The Ukraine, but also with the political system in the UK. Slowly making life as hard as possible for those at the bottom of the - no pun intended - pecking order by cut backs and enforced rationing, while those in power reap the rewards and award themselves more.

I had been really looking forward to this production and I was not let down. It's possibly the best production I've seen of this Orwell masterpiece, and, while it may not be for young children, I think everyone else will love this dark piece of theatre.

"Animal Farm" is a Children's Theatre Partnership Production in association with Birmingham Rep and is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 9 April.