Animal Farm

by Oliver Chong
based on the novel by George Orwell

The Finger Players
Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025
Drama Centre Theatre, Singapore

Kicking off the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025 with this brand new adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, written and directed by Oliver Chong and presented by The Finger Players. 

Chong's version of the classic political satire features 13 life-sized handcrafted puppets designed by Loo An Ni, each manipulated by a single actor. It's both a brilliant showcase of the puppetry work the company is known for and compelling physical theatre. 

The ensemble cast do a great job in conjuring up each character in both voice and movement, with standout turns by Tan Rui Shan as silky propaganda-spouting porker Squealer, Darren Guo as hardworking horse Boxer and Yazid Jalil as the smart and cynical donkey Benjamin. Gabriel Chan's lighting, Stan's music and Tan Wei Ting's projection work come together smoothly to create a slick and cinematic experience. 

Yet, with every adaptation, there are both gains and losses. Chong strives for economy and clarity in his version, distilling the key beats of the novel into neatly-captioned scenes, but does not offer a deeper, more nuanced perspective. Conflating the character of ribbon-loving mare Mollie with Benjamin gives the donkey a bizarre mix of wisdom and frivolity. Charismatic pig leader Snowball makes too brief an appearance to register an impact. 

One cannot help but compare this staging of Animal Farm to Wild Rice's gripping 2002 version which placed the subject matter squarely within the Singaporean psyche. Indeed, coming so soon after the general elections, one wonders if more attempt could have been made to localise the text and draw out parallels between the haves and the have-nots in our society. It also seems curious that these beasts remain rooted in England while neighbouring farmer Mr Pilkington is portrayed as a mainland Chinese caricature. 

Photo Credit: Moonrise Studio

Animal Farm is a gripping and technically impressive production of a world classic that continues to captivate audiences, reminding us of the dangers of authoritariansim and how absolute power corrupts absolutely. I just wish the writing had been slightly more ambitious.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5