So this weekend I fled the standard 9-5 to see the play that everyone is talking about....1984 at The Playhouse Theatre.
I love 1984. Well I love dystopian fiction. Orwell, Attwood and Huxley have all created fictitious worlds where characters are suppressed, feelings are muted and all for the sake of creating a so called "perfect world." George Orwell's 1984 is one of those novels that grips me every time I pick it up. I've read it more times than I can count and every time I've seen it from a different perspective, learnt something new about Winston or reimagined an alternative ending. With so many fans of the book, over 20 million copies have been sold since it was published in 1948, it would be interesting to see how they would bring the world of Oceania to life.
For those unfamiliar with 1984, the story focuses on Winston Smith, who lives in a world in perpetual war controlled by the infamous and omnipresent "Big Brother." Everything is governed via a strict political party system and it is illegal to have individual thoughts - the view of the political party is your view. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth where he rewrites past news articles so that they support the latest stance adopted by the party. Although a hard worker, Winston hates Big Brother and dreams of breaking free. His dreams eventually become reality when he embarks on an affair with Julia which leads to the opportunity to rebel. However, Big Brother is always watching and the start of the affair is their downfall and journey to the dreaded Room 101.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this interpretation. With my most recent theatre trips, I've had an inkling as to how they might stage the play. What I saw, was an impressive adaptation of a book I love.
A lot of performances at the moment are exploring and weaving in video to bring the story to life. It worked fantastically well in the National Theatre production of Edward II highlighting the scheming and back stabbing of the Queen and the lords. In 1984, we see the secret love nest of Julia and Winston, but as the audience we see it through the lens of Big Brother whom you can never escape.
The strobe lighting felt at times a little overused and the bright white light of Room 101 certainly shook off the tiredness from a rather hectic and long week at work. That said the production was slick and well acted. You couldn't help but be impressed by the speed in which the actors disappeared when the lights switched off for a matter of seconds.
Would I recommend it? Yes. The geek in me was terribly excited that we'd managed to get hold of the special £19.84 tickets and it really is worthwhile seeing.
Would I advise you to the read the book first? Yes. Not only will you have a better grasp of the plot, but it would be a disservice to Orwell if you didn't tackle the novel before seeing the play.
The play is now touring the UK, visit www.1984theplay.co.uk.
