​Nick Hern’s play uses text and dialogue drawn straight from Orwell. He was determined not to produce a futuristic version that relies on technology over substance. This version of the play relies on the sharpness and density of Orwell’s originaldialogue. Therefore the ability to learn a lot of lines and convey meaning from some dense text will be a challenge for actors. Nick’s premise is that 1984 is a love story at heart, but with no ‘happy ever after’.

The current global backdrop of totalitarianism and populism in and of itself makes this classic text as relevant today as it was in 1949. By resisting the urge to modernise the setting this version enables a cast of 8 - 12 actors to bring Orwell’s chilling dystopia to the stage. The story is essentially cast at human scale and is about people living within a totalitarian regime and
what the State or Party can do to them. Hence 2 plus 2 will eventually equal 5.

The play uses a dramatic device of ‘therapy sessions’ within a state facility to tell the story leading up to Winston’s arrest. Found guilty of ‘Thought Crimes’ he must re-enact key moments from his past with the help of his inmates so that they can learn from their mistakes and begin their reconstruction. Thus, as with the book, we feel uncomfortable from start to
finish.