The Stage

1984

Published Wednesday 9 December 2009 at 11:55 by Sally Stott

No matter how many times you hear, read or see George Orwell’s dystopian tale, first published in 1949, it never ceases to feel relevant and this new production by Blind Summit drives home the contemporary parallels to riveting effect.

Set against a minimalist, stylised and at times cartoon-like world, the piece has a strong sense of physicality, while the avalanche of multimedia effects favoured by lesser companies is refreshingly absent.

In a way that differs from the novel, a chorus of brainwashed actors take on the roles of citizens and then perform Orwell’s story which follows the journey of thought criminal Winston, a civil servant who fruitlessly attempts to escape the clutches of an all-seeing state. While we feel sympathy for Winston and his girlfriend Julia, the constant reminders within the text that we’re watching a drama get in the way of the emotion. This isn’t helped by the relentless high-energy, high-volume, high-speed style of delivery.

Orwell’s story has a particularly untheatrical structure with very little dramatic conflict until the end. While Blind Summit’s production is beautifully realised and performed with some stunning moments - particularly the puppetry, which doesn’t feature half enough - it is only through the conclusion that we are able to really feel for the characters.