Characters development throughout the rehearsal process

Characters The three main pigs.

Snowball: played by Ruth Jones:

Most similar to Old Major by adopting many of his ideals compared to Napoleon and Squealer.The "thinker" of the rebellion, Snowball shows a great understanding of strategy during the Battle of the Cowshed, and while some of his initial ideas may fail, it’s clear that he wants to better the animals' lives unlike Napoleon and squealer who want absolute control. . His plan for the windmill is similarly noble, since its construction would give the animals more leisure time. Out of all three pigs Snowball is defiantly the lesser of two evils, though he is most definitely not a ‘good’ character he is the least corrupt and his main downfall is being not realistic enough. Also he is so focused on his ideas he fails to notice how far Napoleon is willing to go to have power over the farm. His execution at the hands of Napoleon, however, suggests that force — not good intentions — governs the farm. 

 

Snowball is a representation of Leon Trotsky though he also includes some traits of Vladimir Lenin; represented by Old Major which explains why both characters are somewhat similar. Trotsky was a key figure in the Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia, second only to Vladimir Lenin in the early stages of Soviet communist rule. But he lost out to Joseph Stalin (represented by Napoleon) in the power struggle that followed Lenin's death, and was assassinated while in exile. Trotsky played a crucial role in keeping the Bolshevik regime alive. He saw himself as Lenin's heir-apparent, but his intellectual arrogance made him few friends, and his Jewish heritage may also have worked against him. When Lenin fell ill and died, Trotsky was easily outmanoeuvred by Stalin. In 1927, he was thrown out of the party. Internal and then foreign exile followed Trotsky settled in Mexico in 1936. On 20 August 1940, an assassin called Ramon Mercader, acting on Stalin's orders, stabbed Trotsky with an ice pick, fatally wounding him. He died the next day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/trotsky_leon.shtml

_{“There are many reasons why I picked Ruth to play the part of Snowball. Ruth is a good actress who can approach a part with maturity and empathy. She is a very dependable member of the second year group. Her attendance is close to 100%. She is always fully prepared for any class. These qualities are so important in this industry. To be able to rely on a performer is sometimes more important than talent. Ruth is always willing to push herself in the rehearsals be if physically as well has mentally. She is prepared to take risks. As an actress Ruth always takes an intellectually route to creating a character, and as Snowball stands out as the more intelligent of the pigs, I thought that Ruth would be suitable for the role”. – Miranda Parker -Director}

Napoleon: Played by Megan Callaghan

 

While Jones' tyranny can be somewhat excused due to the fact that he is a dull-witted drunkard, Napoleon's can only be ascribed to his blatant lust for power. Throughout the play Napoleon's method of "getting his own way" involves a combination of propaganda and terror. As soon as the revolution is won, Napoleon's first action is to steal the cows' milk for the pigs and seize the opportunity to establish himself as a dictator. Napoleon's greatest crime, is his complete transformation into Jones — although Napoleon is a much more harsh and stern master than the audience is led to believe than Jones ever was. By the end of the play Napoleon is sleeping in a bed, eating from human plates, drinking alcohol, wearing a derby hat, walking on two legs, trading with humans, and sharing a toast with Mr. Pilkington. His final act of propaganda — changing the Seventh Commandment to "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL / BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS" shows his unchallenged belief that he belongs in complete control of the farm.

 

Napoleon is a representation of Joseph Stalin during the Russian revolution; he ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades after seizing power after the death of Vladimir Lenin. He forced rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agricultural land, resulting in millions dying from famine while others were sent to camps. This is represented by Napoleon stealing Snowballs idea for a windmill and making the animals work even more than they previously did.

In 1922, Stalin was appointed to the newly created office of general secretary of the Communist Party. Though not a significant post at the time, it gave Stalin control over all party member appointment. Increasingly becoming more and more paranoid he stared to exile people he saw as a threat including the presumed successor of Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, later having him secretly executed. At the beginning g of world war two he made a pact with Adolf Hitler, represented by the deal with Mr. Pilkington, exchanging eggs, milk and barley. Though his popularity from his successes during World War II was strong, Stalin's health began to deteriorate in the early 1950s. After an assassination plot was uncovered, he ordered the head of the secret police to instigate a new purge of the Communist Party. Before it could be executed, however, Stalin died on March 5, 1953. He left a legacy of death and terror as he turned a backward Russia into a world superpower.

 

 

 

 

https://www.biography.com/people/joseph-stalin-9491723

 

 

Squealer: played by Arthur Hewitt

Squealer, a clever pig who serves as Napoleon's mouthpiece and Minister of Propaganda. Every time an act of Napoleon's is questioned by the other animals — regardless of how selfish or severe it may seem — Squealer is able to convince the animals that Napoleon is only acting in their best interests and that Napoleon himself has made great sacrifices for Animal Farm. This is clear when the stealing of the milk is brought up and he convinces the other animals it’s for their own good. As the play goes on, he excuses Napoleon's tyranny and sullies Snowball's reputation, just as Napoleon desires. The most disgusting demonstration of this is when he convinces the animals that Boxer was taken to a veterinary hospital instead of the knacker's. A very heartbreaking moment when the audience realizes what Napoleon and squealer have done.

Squealer is represented by Vyacheslav Molotov and possibly the propaganda newspapers by the Soviet Union. He joined the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party during his teenage years and he was soon attracted towards the Bolshevik faction of the organization lead by Vladimir Lenin. After Lenin’s death, he became an avid supporter of Joseph Stalin eventually becoming the Chairman of the ‘Council of People's Commissars’, a post equivalent to the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union. He served in the post for more than a decade. Later, when Stalin became the chairman of the Council of Affairs, Molotov served as its deputy chairman. This is definitely shown in the play by Squealers constant defending of Napoleon, especial when the other animal begin to question Napoleons leadership. Though he still retained his position as a Soviet Diplomat after World War 2, he later lost Stalin’s favor. However, even after Stalin’s death, he continued to defend Stalin’s policies and legacy till his own death at the age of 96.

 

 https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/vyacheslav-molotov-8651.php