It’s the 74th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell’s dystopian novel, and perhaps more than ever it really does feel like we’re living in the age of Big Brother. Pure Expression and its creator Adam Taub celebrate this anniversary with a run of a new immersive version of 1984, set within the art deco splendour of Hackney Town Hall.
This is the kind of experience you really have to go into without knowing what to expect, so this review will try not to reveal too much of what goes on.
As an audience member you’re handed a badge and wished good luck, because in this immersive experience you’re undergoing as assessment to join The Ministry of Truth, the secretive institution that monitors thoughts, and rewrites history in favour of the party.
As part of what feels like an induction, led by O’Brien (Jude Akuwudike), we learn more about Winston and his illegal affair with Julia (Kit Reeve).
A knowledge of 1984 comes in handy (ignorance is not strength here), because there’s not much time to set the context or fill in any gaps. Running at seventy-five minutes means that this production really just skims the source material and concentrates on a condensed version of the Winston and Julia story.
But the fun of this 1984, directed by Jem Wall and Richard Hahlo, is the immersive elements. We’re led around a couple of parts of Hackney Town Hall, which doubles as the Ministry of Truth. An ensemble cast shout instructions at us, guiding us to the right areas, while distant sounding alarms and the clean architectural lines of the building all help create a very specific ambiance.
Declan Rodgers wonderfully portrays the role of Winston, easily demonstrating both fear and defiance. In the final scenes, which those who are familiar with the story will understand, Rodgers conveys Winston’s suffering with gusto.
This might not be a comprehensive retelling of George Orwell’s 1984, but it is clever in the way it slips moments from the book surreptitiously into the performance. More importantly it’s rather good fun, and certainly creates a dystopian feeling amongst us new recruits.
