My teen daughter hadn’t been too sure when I suggested she came along with me to see 1984 although she was visibly relieved to see large number of other teens in school parties congregating in Richmond’s busy foyer.
I was intrigued to see how they would translate this well-known totalitarian vision of the future onto the stage. I expected telescreens with images of Big Brother featuring throughout, but we didn’t see Big Brother once which was interesting as his presence was constantly felt.
The story focuses on Winston Smith (played by Mark Arends) – a low level worker at the Ministry of Truth (where he alters historical records to suit the Party’s needs) who rebels against the regime whilst having an affair with Julia (Hara Yannas). But he is betrayed by people who he thinks are part of the resistance (the Brotherhood) but turn out to be members of the thought police. It’s a paranoid trip and a tale about an individual fighting against the system – and failing.
The staging is inspired – although likely to confuse those who are unfamiliar with the detail of the story. The way in which Winston’s thought processes and the dialogue with those in the future reading his forbidden diary are overlaid is engrossing.
There is also clever use of live video to show – on a large screen above the stage – first his writing in close up and then his trysts and conversations with Julia in the rented room in the unmonitored part of town.
It starts slow and takes a little effort to keep up with the conversations amongst his co-workers - an intelligent linguist Syme (Matthew Spencer) and dullard Parsons (Gavin Spokes) whose children are junior spies as children. These are are repeated to show the monotony of their existence. And the disappearance of people.
As phrases from newspeak are mentioned – thought crime, double think, unwrite – it strikes you just how much this piece of political fiction has become firmly embedded in our artistic and popular culture.
Winston’s arrest with flashing lights, alarms and masked thought police is a dramatic highlight – I can still hear “You may as well say goodbye”.
As the 1.75 hours (with no interval) builds to its climax – with the realistic torture sequences and the notorious Room 101 - Tim Dutton’s performance as senior party figure O’Brien shines out as the stand out piece of the production. His 1950s styled spectacles, smart suit and absolute power over Winston – and his cool command of the robotic torture team – is terrifying.
As we left the theatre, a little bit shell shocked, my daughter quizzed me about the meaning of the story and how it had been portrayed and immediately grabbed a copy of the book when we got home. Result.
1984 is on at Richmond Theatre until Saturday 26th October. http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/nineteen-eighty-four/richmond-theatre/ and then moves on to Liverpool, Cardiff and Leeds. The minimum age is 14 years.
