2+2=5: 1984 comes to the Arts Centre

A stage adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 was never going to be an easy task. Its world in which even thoughts can be a crime under the totalitarian forces of Big Brother, has become the ubiquitous example to pair with stories of over-surveillance and obstructions to human freedom. Deemed a seminal work of twentieth century fiction, expectation from the adaptation’s creators Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan was so high that producing something truly impressive was always going to be, in my opinion, quite a challenge. In their adaptation, Headlong have done many things right but even now, as I sit to contemplate it almost a week later, I can’t work out if I enjoyed it or not. Now before you panic and think about cancelling the ticket you just bought, let me elaborate a little, because there were many elements of the production that were engaging, innovative and excellently staged; elements which in themselves make the production worth a visit.

All of this said, for the most part, my issue with this adaptation was the conviction of its characters; I felt at times that I didn’t believe the characters were fully committed to their actions. Winston, though played well by Mark Arends, was cast too young for the role and Harra Yanas’ Julia lacked character depth throughout. Winston and Julia’s active undermining of the Party’s regime seemed at times a half-hearted attempt, and at others as though they were doing it because that’s what the script prescribed. I didn’t believe that the two people on that stage were there, in that situation, so the action lacked the compelling tension that I found in the novel. Though O’Brien was probably the most lifelike character, whether Tim Dutton brought anything new to the role is questionable. I wanted the characters to grow and develop, but as the play drew to a close I quickly realised, with disappointment, that this wasn’t going to happen.

However, despite issues with the acting, I was firmly impressed by Chloe Lamford’s set design, which was composed of moving elements, whose dynamism more than made up for the monotony of the character portrayal. The set’s disintegration into Room 101 was momentous and incredibly well choreographed. Its sparse emptiness poignantly replaced the corporate scene of the rest of the production. Coupled with an interesting, if at first predictable, use of pre-recorded videos, which took the story’s theme of surveillance and experimented with it even onstage, the set added dimension to often two-dimensional characters.

I think I speak for most audience members when I say that the torture scene was breathtakingly perfect. It was tense; it was unnerving; and I more than once had to close my eyes against the visual effect of the staging. Winston came into his own in this scene, finally evoking our sympathy, surrounded by the ominous brightness of Room 101.

The concept of 1984’s legacy was interestingly used by the production, as it opened and closed with a contemporary book club discussing Winston’s diary, for them a piece of history, and what its message could be. I could see, by the end, that this was trying to achieve an idea of resolution in the future but I felt that the opening scene was ‘tacked-on’ to justify the final scene. The link, therefore, felt tenuous, and the effect was disorientating for the audience. At just £6 for Warwick students when the play tours to Warwick Arts Centre, I advise you to go and simply make your own judgements about this radical production. Perhaps, for my part, I simply didn’t ‘get’ the characters. Even if you were to agree with me, it is at least guaranteed to be an interesting evening’s entertainment, by a fantastic company who have managed to produce another memorable piece of theatre. It will keep you thinking, which, of course, is its point!

1984 is a co-production by Headlong and Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company, which tours to Oxford Playhouse (1-5 October) and later comes to Warwick Arts Centre (15-19 October).