Due to phenomenal demand following our acclaimed co-production earlier this year with Derby Theatre and Hull Truck, we are set to embark on a 2025 UK spring tour of our chilling and powerful re-telling of George Orwell’s timeless fable, Animal Farm – marking the 80^th anniversary of the original novel, and the full cast have now been confirmed.

Adapted for the stage by Ian Wooldridge and directed by esteemed theatre director, Iqbal Khan (East is East, Birmingham Rep & National Theatre, Tartuffe, Royal Shakespeare Company, Opening Ceremony of Commonwealth Games) the tour will commence at the Octagon Theatre Bolton from Wed 22 January – Sat 1 February 2025.

The show will then visit Rose Theatre, Kingston (Tue 4 – Sat 8 Feb), Malvern Theatre (Tue 11 – Sat 15 Feb), Curve Theatre, Leicester (Tue 25 Feb – Sat 1 Mar), Queens Theatre Hornchurch (Tue 4 – Sat 8 Mar), Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (Tue 11 – Sat 15 Mar), Perth Theatre (Tue 25 – Sat 29 Mar) and Liverpool Playhouse (Tue 1 – Sat 5 April).

We can now reveal the full cast for the tour.

The cast includes Sam Black (Animal Farm, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre and Hull Truck, Cyrano De Bergerac, Harold Pinter Theatre and BAM New York) as Boxer; Natalia Campbell (The Tempest, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Tartuffe, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Birmingham Rep) as Old Major and Clover; Olivia Chandler (Animal Farm, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre and Hull Truck, Around the World in 80 Days, Octagon Theatre Bolton) as Mollie; Lewis Griffin (All of Us, National Theatre, Comedy of Errors, Royal Shakespeare Company) as Squealer; Soroosh Lavasani (UK tour of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre and Kenny Wax, Romeo & Juliet, Red Rose Chain) as Snowball; Rhian Lynch (Peter Pan The Musical, Birmingham Old Rep Theatre, Miss Popplewell’s Garden, The Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company) as Napoleon.

Completing the cast is Kai Spellman (Around the World in 80 Days, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Ali and Dahlia, Pleasance Theatre) as Male Swing as well as being Associate Director for the production; and Heather Porte (Jack and the Beanstalk, Oxford Playhouse, The Lost Present, Topsy Turvy Theatre) as Female Swing.

When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master, they imagine it is the beginning of a new life of freedom and equality. However, over time they find themselves ensnared as one tyranny is quickly replaced with another.

Animal Farm is Orwell’s enduring and devastating satire about the corruption of power, that comments on the imbalance among society and demonstrates how some are more equal than others.

A story as relevant today as when it was written in 1945, this classic tale will be brought vividly to life on stages across the UK in this gripping production for 2025.

The full creative team will be returning for the touring production, which includes: Iqbal Khan (director); Ciaran Bagnall (set and lighting designer); Gerry Marsden (sound designer); Su Newell (costume designer and supervisor); Shelley Eva Haden (movement director); Dylan Towley (composer).

Commenting on the upcoming tour, the Octagon’s Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham said: “After an incredible reaction from audiences earlier this year we are thrilled to be taking our production of Animal Farm on the road to venues across the UK in 2025. We have assembled a sensational company of actors and a fantastic creative team to bring this highly physical and visually stunning piece of theatre to life.

“2025 will mark 80 years since this classic novel was first published; with so many of the themes still so relevant today, I am really excited that our production will honour this landmark anniversary, bringing a fresh and compelling adaptation to modern day audiences.”

Animal Farm director, Iqbal Khan added: “I am delighted to be returning to this production once again and taking it to even more audiences across the UK.

“At its heart Animal Farm has such a powerful and important message, even 80 years on from when Orwell first wrote the book, and I am delighted we have such an incredibly talented cast of actors and creatives to share this new vision for this vital story.”

Animal Farm comes to the Octagon Theatre Bolton from Wed 22 January – Sat 1 February 2025.

Tickets for the Octagon Theatre Bolton are on sale now.

See individual venue websites for other on-sale dates.

Find out more and book tickets by visiting the venue website or calling the box office.