The Loft Theatre opens 2026 with Animal Farm

The cast of Animal Farm. Photo by Richard Smith Photography.

Animal Farm by George Orwell, adapted by Peter Hall with lyrics by Adrian Mitchell and music by Richard Peaslee. At The Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa from Wednesday 21 Jan to Saturday 31 Jan 2026. Directed by Mark Crossley.

Preview

The Loft Theatre begins its 2026 season with a new staging of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a sharp and timely retelling of the classic political satire.

As part of The Loft's ongoing commitment to making theatre accessible to young people, Loft Theatre is continuing its free ticket offer for 16 to 25-year-olds throughout 2026. With Animal Farm still widely studied in schools and colleges, this production offers students an ideal opportunity to explore the story through live performance.

At once funny and frightening, delightful and devastating, Animal Farm charts the fall of idealism and the rise of tyranny after the animals of Manor Farm rise up against their oppressive human owner in a struggle for rights and equality.

Peter Hall’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Animal Farm, originally staged at the National Theatre in the 1980s, successfully translated Orwell’s political allegory to the stage.

Fresh and witty, whilst remaining true to the savagery of Orwell’s satirical novel, it features narrators and a cast of animals, using music and physicality to convey the story’s themes of revolution, power and corruption. Through text and song the play illuminates the succession of steps through which by persuasion, lies, force and propaganda, some of the animals become “more equal than others”. 

The cast of Animal Farm. Photo by Richard Smith Photography.

The Director Mark Crossley says of the play: "Ever since its publication, the story has bristled with political parallels, most notably Orwell’s withering view on how Communism corrupted itself. To some degree, this analogy sustains, but in this third decade of the 21st century, there are profound new resonances that speak afresh to current generations.

This adaptation of the text has been created by the cast in tandem with the director, with a strong emphasis on ensemble physical theatre. Beyond the characters portrayed, the actors’ fashion many of the scenic elements within the play as well as performing all the songs live. Remaining on stage throughout the entire show, this is a feat of endurance, collaboration and creative invention for the entire cast. On that note, as director, it has been my genuine privilege to work alongside this creative team of cast, stage management, movement advisor and technical designers, and I wish to thank them for all their hard work and the embrace of uncertainty."

Tickets are available now via The Loft Theatre’s box office. Visit: www.lofttheatrecompany.com, or by emailing boxoffice@lofttheatrecompany.com, or call 01926 830 680 (answer phone service).

To take advantage of the Loft’s free ticket offer for theatregoers aged 16-25, either book in advance by emailing the box office or obtain your tickets at the Box Office on the night (please bring proof of age).