Farma Orwell

Based on motifs from texts by George Orwell

Première 12. marec 2022, Mali oder SNG Maribor
The first Slovenian performance

Running time 1 hour 30 minutes. No intermission.

Director and author of the text Luka Marcen
Dramaturg and author of the text Tatjana Doma
Set designer Sara Slivnik
Costume designer Ana Janc
Composer Mitja Vrhovnik Smrekar
Choreographer Lara Ekar Grlj
Lighting designer Andrej Hajdinjak

Cast
Napoleon Vladimir Vlaškalić
Lady Eva Kraš
Squealer Vojko Belšak
Minimus Mateja Pucko
Gingerhead Maša Žilavec
Snowball Liza Marijina

Drawing on the story of Animal Farm, ideas from the novel 1984 and four of Orwell's essays, Orwell's Farm sees the world through the eyes of the pig elite. The action is set in an art gallery, in the Museum of the Rebellion, and takes place on two levels, at a banquet celebrating a national holiday, where the pig elite play out different versions of their famous history for their own amusement and mockery. Historical battles thus become artistic action, artefacts, exhibition objects, performances that glorify the role of the elite. Art becomes a messenger of state propaganda. The National Jubilee is about reconciliation, which can only be achieved if history is redefined. Reconciliation, of course, means that President Napoleon is finally recognized for all his merits in history. All the elite bowed to him a long time ago. In his bloody rise to power, Napoleon does not allow dialogue - whoever is not with him is against him. In fear of losing their position, perhaps even their lives, they have long jumped, just like the cruel pig Napoleon. The only disturbing element is the guest of honour, Debelinka the pig. However, since national history must be rewritten at the request of Napoleon on the occasion of the national jubilee in order to achieve reconciliation, Debelinka is asked to distance herself from her own words and actions, and above all to renounce her own memory.

Luka Marcen (1995) graduated from AGRFT in 2020 with directing the productions The Cannibals and The Naked Pianist or A Little Night Music. As an assistant director he has worked with renowned theatre artists, directed reading productions and participated in the production of literary programmes and radio plays. He directed the production Zrcalce, zrcalce, požrla te bom (Mirror, Mirror, I'll Devour You) at the Ljubljana Drama, Orwell Farm at the Maribor Drama, Kozlov's Judgement in Višnja Gora and the comedy Look at Me! at the SLG Celje, the drama omnibus Monologues from the Couch at the PDG Kranj, and a monocomedy with Mojca Fatur, Never Too Late, at the SiTi teater. His student production Children in Power (2019) won the grand prix at the FIST Festival in Belgrade, and the creators of the production received the Academy's Prešeren Prize. His direction of The Cannibals won him the Academy Prešeren Prize, and his production of Kozlov's Judgement in Višnji Gora was the Audience Choice Noble Comedy at the 30th Days of Comedy.

The Slovene National Theatre Maribor is the main cultural institution in the city of Maribor and in north-eastern Slovenia. Since it was established in 1919 it has had an immense cultural and political role through its cultural creativity. It develops and preserves the Slovene national identity and acts as an important bastion of the Slovene language. In the ninety years of its existence, it has given a permanent mark to the city and the surroundings. Today the Slovene National Theatre Maribor is the largest cultural and artistic institute in Slovenia, which is organised into five units: Drama, Opera, Ballet, Symphonic Orchestra and the Maribor Theatre Festival. The Slovene National Theatre Maribor makes guest performances in Slovenia and abroad where, especially in recent years, it has been as one of the most important ambassadors of Slovene theatre creativity.
www.sng-mb.si, sng.maribor@sng-mb.si