Box Tale Soup returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the world premiere of 1984, a bold new adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian classic. Running from 30 July to 25 August (excluding 13 August) at Pleasance Courtyard, this timely reimagining fuses puppetry, storytelling, and original music to explore surveillance, misinformation, and resistance in the modern age.
Directed by Adam Lenson and featuring an original score by Dan Melrose, 1984 stars Noel Byrne, Antonia Christophers, and Mark Collier, with recorded voice performances by Dame Joanna Lumley, Sophie Aldred, and Sir Simon Russell Beale as Big Brother. The production uses handmade puppets, set, and props crafted from recycled materials, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.
This adaptation focuses not only on Orwell’s chilling vision of authoritarianism but also on the enduring spark of human resistance. With their signature blend of puppetry and theatricality, Box Tale Soup invites audiences to question their own role in shaping the future.
