By George Orwell. Shake and Stir. The Q Theatre. 2 May 2014
It’s been 65 years since George Orwell’s vision of a nightmarish communist future was put to paper; lucky for us it was never realised in the Western world, but you’d be forgiven for thinking back in 1959 that the scenario was a frighteningly real possibility. However, for countries like North Korea it is sadly a reality, where the enduring story of 1984 seems to have served as an inspiration rather than a warning.
This is Shake and Stir’s second Orwell production at The Q Theatre, the last being a brilliant adaptation of Animal Farm in 2013. One important difference between the two is that for 1984, the company chose not to have an interval in order to preserve the level of intensity that would build up during the hour and forty minutes – an effective decision, and something that should be done much more often with shows of this kind.
A feature of this version of 1984, besides the blinding spotlights harassing the audience in the lead up to the show, was the seamless and innovative insertion of media into the production. The well-timed pre-recorded material was used to great effect in creating the relentless surveillance of the people of Oceania, as well as the beautiful dream sequences of protagonist Winston Smith (Bryan Probets). It also served to heighten the emotion of Winston to the nth degree by providing synchronised close ups of his torment as he was systemically broken by the deceitful O’Brien (David Whitney).
The cast were nothing short of phenomenal, seemingly leaping straight from the pages of the book and materialising onto the stage at Queanbeyan. Hands down, as in the book, it was Probets and Whitney going head to head in the heartbreaking ‘re-education’ scenes towards the end of the play that proved most stirring.
However, the chemistry between the superb Nelle Lee as Julia and Probets as Winston was also noteworthy for its authenticity, as the bold young woman brought the nostalgic, world-worn ‘thought criminal’ back to life for that brief but achingly precious time. Ross Balbuziente and Nick Skubij as supporting characters brought great versatility to their roles and just the right amount of comic relief in otherwise sombre moments.
The costume and non-media elements of the set design were appropriately bleak, replicating the wretched life of a comrade, apart from a charming hidden room (that was literally hidden within the set) that would become the oasis for Julia and Winston during their last days of relative freedom.
Shake and Stir certainly lived up to its name that evening, leaving one feeling slightly rattled and shell-shocked. If anything, it was a good reminder to appreciate the pleasures and privileges of a liberal society and to take note of what we have to lose.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: The Q Theatre - Canberra
Bookings: Closed
