Children will take the parts of animals this week for a new stage-play version of George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm.

Eight pupils from Newham will be acting in the play Revolution Farm this week in a series of performances based on Orwell’s much-loved children’s tale.

The pupils, aged from eight years to 15, will play the parts of some of the younger farm animals, all with speaking roles.

They attend Gallions Primary School and Kingsford Community School in Beckton, and have been rehearsing for weeks for the performances at Newham City Farm in Stansfeld Road.

Revolution Farm re-tell’s Orwell’s classic tale of English farm animals overthrowing the rule of Farmer Jones, only to have their new-found freedom threatened by the farm’s meanest pig, Napoleon.

This version was written for the stage by Beckton resident Jim Kenworth, who is a visiting lecturer at the University of East London.

He said: “All the kids will be speaking lines. Sometimes you get plays which are supposedly educational or for young people, but the young people who are in them don’t get a line.

“The Orwell estate has given permission for our play, which I’m very pleased about, becacuse they can see we’re trying to get young people interested in the work of Orwell.”

The project is supported by Gallions Primary, Kingsford Community School, the Royal Docks Community School, and local charity Community Links.

The first performance of Revolution Farm was yesterday (Tuesday) and the play will run daily until Sunday, August 24.

To book tickets visit animalfarm.ticketsource.co.uk.

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