Composer Alan Menken. Picture: Vivienne Vincent
A high-powered team of multi award winners has been assembled to create a stage musical version of George Orwell’s allegorical novella Animal Farm.
Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham (This House, Quiz) is working with Tony, Olivier and eight-time Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act) and Grammy and Emmy Award-winning lyricist Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, Sister Act, School of Rock) to turn Orwell’s classic work into a musical which will receive its world premiere in the West End following a series of development workshops in 2021.
Commenting on the project, Graham said: “To be working on Animal Farm, one of the greatest political fables of the 20th Century, with this team of Alan and Glenn, one of the greatest in musical theatre, is both a sheer delight, and also a real responsibility.
“Orwell’s themes of power and misinformation, corruption and ideological divides resonate strongly today. We want this gothic fairytale to open them up to a wide audience in a boldly theatrical way.”
Menken said: “I am beyond excited to be adapting George Orwell’s masterpiece, Animal Farm, as a musical. And to be embarking on a brand new collaboration with James Graham, as book writer, and to be resuming my partnership with Glenn Slater, as lyricist, is truly thrilling.”
Slater added: “Animal Farm could not be more relevant to the world we’re living in today. I’m wildly excited to thrill, provoke, and perturb audiences with a new of-the-moment musical version of this timeless tale —and especially to do so in tandem with two certified geniuses like Alan Menken and James Graham.”
Described as a ‘chilling fairy tale’, Animal Farm will be produced by Adam Spiegel Productions. All further production information will be announced at a later date.
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.