REVIEW | Immersive 1984, Hackney Town Hall

Reviews

27 Oct

Written by Cathie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

Content warning: This production contains depiction of torture and violence, themes of a sexual nature, loud sounds including guns shots, strobe and flash lighting.

In Hackney Town Hall the year is 1984. We are part of the great state of Oceania and we have gone to apply for a role in the ministry of truth. Big Brother is loved by all and we are all struggling in the perpetual war with the rest of the world. Here individuality is a capital crime and a person’s thoughts are even more severely punished than their actions. This immersive production explores the dystopian cautionary tale that is Orwell’s 1984.

This immersive production utilises the space of the court and courtyard extremely well to tell Orwell’s story. The austere setting of the court to examine ‘evidence’, the use of the projector screen to showcase undercover surveillance and recordings and the cameras focused on the audience was brilliant. They used the mundane items we take for granted in our lives and terrifyingly showcased them to bring this dystopian state into reality.

The setting and the plot are explained by a narrator and minister of truth official O’Brien (Jude Akuwudike). Akuwudike’s performance is what transcends this production into 5 stars. He is utterly magnificent and bone-chillingly perfect as the charming official. In turn, he acts more warmly, sincere and believable than any politician then abruptly sinister and deranged as any fanatic. His gravitas and magnetic performance held us all spellbound as he carries us swiftly through the case.

We are examining the case of a thought criminal Winston (Declan Rodgers) and his affair with the young Julia (Kit Reeve). Both gave brilliantly nuanced and vulnerable performances that elevated their character’s plights. We see their romance unfold in hopeful moments of snatched joy, wrongly believing they’re safe but have been watched by the ‘ministry of love’ the entire time. Their naivety in the power of their love is snatched away by painful physical and psychological torture.

This story is condensed into 75 minutes and cuts much of the waffle out of the novel’s plot and has turned the key lines and scenes into the finest diamonds of stage performance. Some elements of the story are changed but work better. Before the moments of audience participation and intense scenes, they are very clear and explicit in what’s expected and you can opt out if it’s too much for you.

I was genuinely terrified. This is a perfect adaptation of Orwell’s 1984 and a must-see this Halloween for people who are more afraid of the monsters within society than any ghost or werewolf. Whether a dystopian fan, a deep literature fan, a Netflix crime documentary aficionado or just a curious individual, I urge you to see this performance as soon as possible.

At Hackney Town Hall until 17 December.