It is some years, no - sorry - make that some decades, since I read Orwell’s 1984, but it is hard to forget the key elements of what might now be seen almost as prophetic rather than the dystopian vision it has long been sold as.
In this new stage adaptation created for Headlong and Nottingham Playhouse by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan our memories of the story, whether real or borrowed, can only serve to heighten the sense of tension and suspense that gradually builds in the theatre.
The curtain rises on Chloe Lamford’s set, which gives the feel of some shabby civic office or institutional space from somewhere in the last century - the kind of place we might find in the neglected recesses of a solid old town hall. The tiled suspended ceiling has been folded up at a steep angle to create a surface that doubles as a screen onto which live images are projected simultaneously with the action onstage, beginning with a picture of Winston Smith’s hand as he begins to write a journal.
Most of the cast are wired for sound so that their voices can at times be projected at us through speakers along with these images, underlining the idea that everything is being watched via the telescreens. Unreality looms heavy as we are pulled back and forth from scene to scene by this audio-visual device as well as a dynamic lighting and sound plot by Natasha Chivers and Tom Gibbons. There are blinding lights and washes of ominous electronic and percussive sound that sweep over us in scene transitions.
We are meant to feel unsettled, as most of the characters certainly appear to be, going about their repetitive day-to-day and occasionally repeating the same lines and actions too. A trolley of Victory Gin wheeled increasingly mechanically round the stage as others polish imagined furniture among the dusty shelves and numbered doors.
A large and meticulously rehearsed cast create far more characters than seems possible, but this too adds to the general sense of unease as the plot creeps gradually upon us through the performance’s unbroken 100 minute span.
Tim Dutton as O’Brien and Hara Yannas as Julia give strong pivotal performances here. Dutton oozes urbanity in his earlier appearances but becomes increasingly sinister as time passes, eventually becoming a figure of menace. Yannas, conversely, begins as a mysterious figure who we are reluctant to trust but gradually draws us in.
Mark Arends in the central role of Winston Smith, however, surely has the heaviest weight to carry. An interesting casting choice here. Orwell used terms like “fattish” and “devoted drudge” to describe Smith, while Arends is sharp-eyed and very slight in build. He gives a tremendous portrayal of pent-up nervous energy and certainly embodies the idea of an internal tension that becomes visible. He plays the part as an intellectual determined to fight against any kind of oppression. His persistent resolve to hold on to his knowledge and beliefs becomes unbearable.
The transformation scenes that lead to our eventual arrival in Room 101 are truly terrifying pieces of staging, made all the more visceral by the long, gradual build-up of tension and suspense and the fact that the piece is played through without an interval ensures we are never let off the hook. One great theatrical moment is the reveal in which we finally see that Winston and Julia’s secret meeting place is far from private.
Many scenes are played out almost in the manner of some of the great stage illusionists, and there are moments where we are left wondering whether we actually saw what we believe we have seen.
Robert Icke’s last appearance at the Playhouse was in the in-house production of the Alchemist, and those who saw that piece will recognise the ability to convey claustrophobic settings and desolate space, both in his direction and in the staging concept.
I still have an indelible image of Mark Arends atop a staircase as Malcolm, as the lights cut to black on the closing night of Macbeth at the old Everyman – then he played a dignified and statesmanlike role. I suspect I may struggle to erase the memory of him as Winston too, but for different reasons. Here he carries the emotional weight of a highly concentrated adaptation of this disturbing tale and does so with a fearless passion.
Brace yourself and hold on to your seats – this is powerful stuff.
1984 runs at the Liverpool Playhouse until Saturday 2nd November 2013, and there are very few seats remaining, so hurry if you want to catch it here.
The production continues its tour at the Sherman Theatre Cymru from 5th to 9th November and West Yorkshire Playhouse from 12th to 16th November. It will transfer to the Almeida Theatre Islington from 8th February to 29th March 2014
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