Animal Farm at the West Yorkshire Playhouse

Last night I went to see Animal Farm at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.

I'm not a theatre goer normally, but I love George Orwell so I booked as soon as I heard about it. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the first preview night and I wasn't disappointed.

Before entering the theatre I wondered how the animals would be represented. The result was a great halfway house so that the characters where visibility human but took on their animal characteristics. The set was fantastic to showing a whole range of aspects of the farm from the chicken shed to the farm house itself.

Sound and music was used to great effect to give a feeling of terror and wonder at the same time.

This is a great adaptation of a great book, if you get the chance go and see it, If not at least revisit Animal Farm the book, or try out the film which was funded by the CIA and used as anti Soviet propaganda.

Posters of the cold war

I love propaganda posters, they play on the most basic of human instincts - hate. Not that I condone hatred.

The way that the simplest of design styles portrays a powerful message which entrances a country or state has always fascinated me. Though the styles vary massively the simplicity always stays. These posters are designed for the lowest common denominator and give people something to rally round, it makes them feel part of a group - protected in their collective hatred of another group. As an artform I'm not certain how beloved it is, such amazing graphics but with a very dark meaning.

The V&A are holding an exhibition Cold War Modern to highlight the works.