1984 - UK tour

A few thoughts from last night's viewing of the show at its last tour stop in Liverpool. Overall I would certainly say that it was a solid and faithful if not revolutionary adaption by Ryan Craig of Orwell's 1949 dystopian classic from director Lindsay Posner and his team. Despite the book being 75 years old it's themes of Big Brother and fake news are all too disturbingly relevant in a 2024 society of CCTV and mass media. 

Much praise of this production must go to designer Justin Nardella's video design which dominated the stage and in this production it certainly felt relevant and well used due to the nature of the play and right from the moment you walked into the auditorium to cast bows at the end. Even before the play starts the video screen is active with a camera panning over the auditorium watching everyone on the screen giving that Big Brother is watching feeling to the audience. Then throughout the play it helps sets the scenes with digital backdrops. The basic set with the non-performing cast members watching proceedings whilst sat in the stage wings in full view of the audience members certainly adds to that Big Brother is watching all the time feeling.

For the cast, as the 2 leads Mark Quartley as Winston and Elanor Wyld was definitely a mixed bag in their performances. Whilst Mark's performance was the far more engaging and certainly gives a believable turn as a man who wants to fight the system but is ultimately destroyed by it by the end of the play. It is Elanor's role as Julia which was less convincing as a love interest for Winston and their illicit love affair certainly didn't feel genuine with any real chemistry and a high stakes one as they try to fight the system. As such, it did make Act 1 the weaker of the two Acts.  As the baddie of the piece, Keith Allan manages to strike a nice between a restrained performance as O'Brien but turns it on in a sadistic and savage performance in Act 2. Finally there is David Birrell as Winston's cheerful but naive neighbour Parsons who convinces as a loyal family and party man but who like Winston is ultimately ruined by the Party. 

Whilst Act 1 may of been lacking, Act 2 certainly more than made up for it in the harrowing torture and Room 101 scenes that dominate the Act. The performances of both Quartley and Allan here were excellent and chilling and at times uncomfortable to watch was the scenes played out. The lighting and sound design here from Paul Pyant and Giles Thomas respectively helping to turn up the terror factor on stage during these scenes. 

Rating 3.5 stars.