The notices for Animal Farm: As Witnessed by Moses the Raven are kinder to the performer than to the production. Dov Citron has adapted George Orwell’s 1945 fable as an hour-long solo show and plays every part in it himself, from the drunken Farmer Jones who greets the audience to Old Major, Boxer, Squealer and the pigs who end up running the farm, with the tame raven Moses as narrator. Victoria Waddington directs, at Barons Court Theatre. The critics agree on the virtuosity of the character-switching; where they differ is on whether the staging yet matches it, and on whether Moses, for all the title promises, earns his place as the teller of the tale.
The verdict: six reviews in, all of them rated — two four-star notices, one three-and-a-half, two three-star and one two-star, an average of 3.3 out of 5. Every critic credits Dov Citron with the stamina and range to carry the whole farm on his own. They part company on the production around him: the warmer notices find it inventive and well judged, while the cooler ones point to uneven pacing, mistimed lighting cues and a raven who is promised by the title but seldom heard from.
What are critics saying about ANIMAL FARM: AS WITNESSED BY MOSES THE RAVEN?
The Reviews Hub
Reviewer: Jane Darcy
“With just a few wisps of straw, and some battered wooden boards, Citron has created the barn and all the animals herded there. He excels at physical theatre, producing an entertaining variety of beasts and birds. He does a very good cow, and he’s excellent as poor benighted Boxer, the carthorse. But where were the sheep? Perhaps Citron hasn’t perfected an imitation yet. But it’s a shame not to get a round of ‘Four Legs good, Two Legs bad!’”
The Spy in the Stalls
Reviewer: Jonathan Evans
“Orwell’s tale still burns with relevance eighty years later, of which Citron’s adaptation is a humble yet poignant reminder. It is both an ambitious project, and one with ambitions. Small in scale but grand in design. It is itching to reach a wider audience, and we feel sure that, very soon, it will exceed its own expectations. An urgent, entertaining and fascinating production.”
Salterton Arts Review
Reviewer: Erin Caswell
“Our guide through this animated retelling is Moses the Raven. But actually, Citron moves between the characters in turn, bringing each to life as the needs of the story dictate. He gets the animals in the revolutionary spirit with Old Major’s (literally?) barnstorming speech. He gives a different voice and mannerisms to leaders Snowball and Napoleon, Boxer the workhorse, Squealer, the farmhands, the sheep, the cows, and so on. I don’t know if Citron has an innate talent for making farm animal noises or has honed his craft over time, but either way it is impressive. And entertaining – the image of a revolutionary chicken will stay with me for some time.”
Theatre Weekly
Reviewer: Maggie O’Shea
“Animal Farm features a not insignificant cast of characters, and as sole performer Citron takes on all of them. It’s a powerhouse performance. He flips seamlessly from one character to another, all of them distinct, and his booming, gravelly voice commands the audience’s attention. There’s an inventive use of crowdwork too, encouraging the audience to see themselves in the animals’ place.”
Production photographs by Steve Thewis.
Everything Theatre
Reviewer: Lily Middleton
“Citron’s portrayal of all the animals is incredibly well done. He easily transitions from Napoleon, in his bowler hat and gruff voice, to Boxer with his can-do Soviet worker attitude and heartbreaking end. His use of props is measured yet effective, with hats to quickly show us who we’re watching on stage, a lectern to demonstrate the power of the speeches, a snare drum for the occasional gun shot, and a cane for Moses. His physical depictions of the animals are also brilliant: whilst a dark story that gives pause for thought, there are moments of light relief when he suddenly becomes a chicken or a cow. He’s a true chameleon and you soon forget that it’s just one man on stage, and not a large cast depicting a farm full of animals.”
West End Best Friend
Reviewer: Heidi Downing
“If taking on all of the characters of one of literature’s most famous books sounds overly ambitious, that’s because it is. Whilst Citron’s diverse characterisations, impressions and general concept are applaudable, the wider production bites off more than it can chew. There is a lot of room for potential but at this stage, from dropped props to delayed lighting cues, the production remains unpolished in a way that shifts focus vastly away from the core messages of the piece.”
Elsewhere on the fringe this week, the critics have been weighing up Jerker at Waterloo East Theatre, and in the West End Hay Fever at Wyndham’s Theatre.
Animal Farm: As Witnessed by Moses the Raven runs at Barons Court Theatre until Saturday 3 October 2026.
