‘Four legs good! Two legs bad!’
Limerick Youth Theatre and Bottom Dog Theatre Company will present George Orwell’s ever-relevant classic ‘Animal Farm’ at the Belltable from 17 – 19 August at 8.00pm. This is a tale of hope and its inevitable decay, it remains both prescient and current in our politically unstable times; a human parable told through the metaphor of simple farm animals. Through movement, design and thematic examination, this production will be a vibrant and moving piece of theatre which will not only reflect its original inspiration but what it has to say to us today.
Liam O’Brien, director and member of Bottom Dog Theatre says: ‘Animal Farm’ is about a community that rebels against a controlling voice. The play reflects the time it was written; set against the Russian Revolution but it resonates with politics today with the rise of Isis, global terrorism and the recent Brexit referendum decision in the UK. This is not going to be set in Limerick it is set in England right now. As a director, I will work with the cast’s voices and dialects; I would like to make it evident to the audience that the cast have been challenged theatrically’.
Angie Smalis, Artistic Director of Limerick Youth Theatre said: ‘There is great excitement about this year’s summer production. For the first time in LYT’s history, LYT has engaged another theatre company to work with our members. Normally, one director would direct a full length play and mentor the young actors. The focus would shift between production values, actors’ training, performance tools and generally giving LYT members an overall experience in theatre making. This year, there is an extra layer added which is unarguably hugely valuable to the artistic development of the young actors. Working exclusively with three founding members of Bottom Dog Theatre Company, Liam O’Brien, Myles Breen and John Anthony Murphy, the learning has become more focused and the experience will be carried by all involved in the years to come. This collaboration has proven to be a great recipe for a fuller artistic experience for both companies’.