The theatre department of Tagore University of Creative Arts premiered a play based on George Orwell’s famous novel titled ‘Animal Farm’ at the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Monday.
The play was adapted by Nazrul Syed and directed by Sydur Rahman Lipon.
With the support of the cultural affairs ministry, the play was premiered as part of the July Punarjagaran Natyotsab 2025, organised by the cultural affairs ministry to mark the first anniversary of July uprising which toppled the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.
The play revolves around an animal farm titled ‘Manor Farm’.
Two pigs named ‘Snowball’ and ‘Napoleon’ instigate the overburdened and mistreated animals to rebel against the human owner of the farm.
After the uprising, the Manor Farm is renamed ‘Animal Farm’, with the animals adopting seven commandments and the pigs becoming the supervisors of the farm. However, the animals gradually realise that the pigs have become oppressive and totalitarian rulers.
At the end of the play, the seven commandments are replaced by a single commandment which announces that all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Mohammad Habibullah, Abir Khan Antu, Saiful Islam, Priti Sutradhar, Palak Chakraborty, Memori Chakma, Allama Mahedi Hasan and Nazmul Ahsan, among others, played different characters for the play.
Dhiman Chandra Barman designed the light while Abdur Razzak designed stage and props and Asim Kumar Natto designed the background music of the production.
Mohsina Akhter designed costumes while Amit Chowdhury and Hasan Ishtiaque Imran jointly choreographed the movement for the production.
