Book official show tickets for george orwells 1984 at the playhouse theatre london. May 09, 2014 a dazzlingly theatrical take on george orwells futurist masterpiece. See why orwells 1949 novel of a totalitarian worldthe definitive book of the 20th centuryis as relevant now as ever, and particularly resonant in the political environment of washington, d. The definitive book of the 20th century is reexamined in a radical, awardwinning adaptation exploring surveillance. Icke and macmillans adaptation of 1984 stands out as one of the. Winston matthew spencer and julia hara yannas kiss goodbye after making love in the headlong production of 1984 at the shakespeare theatre companys lansburgh theatre. But big brother is watching himand the door to room 101 can swing open in the blink of an eye. Actresses who have played julia in the 20 stage adaptation have included hara yannas, catrin stewart, olivia wilde, and ursula mills. Handles dystopian narrative with great skill a scene from 1984. He strikes up a love affair with julia hara yannas, who, it turns out. Comrade 6079, winston smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary, and falls in love. Sep 06, 2016 hara yannas gives a lovely controlled performance as julia, a character who could to be seen as cold and robotic. May 09, 2014 hara yannas, returning to the almeida theatre after appearing in the house of bernarda alba, makes a strong, dangerous julia, winstons illicit love interest.
This new adaptation of george orwells 1984 at the almeida theatre is slow, pofaced and far too wordy, says tim walker. Those discussing the book segue into characters from the story. Manuel harlan christopher patrick nolan in 1984 at the playhouse theatre photo. Anachronistically, our hero i use the term unreservedly, the author winston smith, is present and big brother looms large. Shakespeare theatre company 1984 shakespeare theatre company. Orwells symbols, allegories and concepts have influenced a myriad of social commentators and leftwing ideologists for decades.
The frame 1984 adaptation brings george orwells dystopian. On the other hand, george orwells dystopian masterpiece nineteen eightyfour has had worse luck with adaptations, the biggest crimes usually relating to its powerful ending. The production chillingly displays their fight to stay sane amidst the public mind control and distorted views about the future of the world. Feb 14, 2014 1984 at the almeida theatre, with christopher patrick nolan as martin, hara yannas as julia and mark arends as winston photo.
Orwell has so many ideas, important ones but often abstract, so to extract the drama needed to create a gripping play is an accomplishment. Perhaps the scariest thing about george orwells great novel is that it still. In this new adaptation, presented by headlong and nottingham playhouse theatre company, the cruelty and control, dominance and destruction implemented by big brother and the party appears. Familiar elements are there telescreens, julia hara yannas, perfectly the rebel below the waist and pragmatist above, charringtons junk shop room and snowglobe, oranges and lemons, children denouncing parents, victory gin, the apparent goldstein conspiracy and winstons day job deleting unpersons.
In it, an office drone winston smith played brilliantly by matthew spencer chafes at the oppression of the regime he lives under, secretly compiling a diary. It is astounding that a book written decades ago about a terrifyingly potential future remains so frighteningly relevant to our current dystopian fears. In constant fear of being caught by the thought police, winston meets julia, played by hara yannas, a fellow antibig brother conspirator. Feb 16, 2014 this new adaptation of george orwells 1984 at the almeida theatre is slow, pofaced and far too wordy, says tim walker. May 07, 2014 surveillance state takes centre stage in new 1984 production. Unfortunately, after a good start the character of julia is flattened and diminished, leaving hara yannas without much to work with. At times, it seemed that the headlong theatre companys production of 1984 used all the tricks of a horror movie to unsettle its audience.
An invigorating ride back to the future in 1984 the artery. Almeidas 1984 is a refreshing take on george orwell classic metro. Written in 1948, 1984 is the story of a dystopian future in which lives winston smith mark arends and his lover, julia hara yannas, both strongly opposed to the way the world is being governed. Cambridge even if youve never read 1984, youre probably familiar with the phrase big brother is watching you. The inventive production of 1984 at shakespeare theatre company takes these phrases and makes them more relevant than ever to a contemporary washington, dc, audience.
American book ofthemonth club, in discussions to publish the first us edition of the novel, demanded that orwell cut the appendix in its entirety along with much of goldsteins book before publication. Sep 20, 20 increasingly disillusioned by big brother and the party, winston channels his anger and frustrations into writing a rebellious act which renders him instantly a dead man. Time is malleable in the adaptation of george orwells 1984 that originated at. The nice thing about this book is that it encourages the attentive reader to develop hara as a process coterminous with the life process and very cosmic flow, the zendo of everyday life if you like.
Mar 21, 2016 winston matthew spencer and julia hara yannas kiss goodbye after making love in the headlong production of 1984 at the shakespeare theatre companys lansburgh theatre. Mar 16, 2016 1984 based on the novel by george orwell. I felt the book to be perfect despite its imperfections, beautiful despite the ugliness it depicted and deeply comforting despite its haunting themes. Familiar elements are there telescreens, julia hara yannas, perfectly the rebel below the waist and pragmatist above, charringtons junk shop room and snowglobe, oranges and lemons, children denouncing parents, victory gin, the apparent goldstein conspiracy and. The west end run of 1984 which is to return to the playhouse theatre this summer has announced full casting.
George orwells 1984 is one of the scariest novels ive ever read. Her last name is never given in the novel but she is called dixon in the 1954 bbc tv production julia was born in 1958 in oceania, the superstate combining north america, south america, southern africa, australia, new zealand and the united kingdom renamed airstrip one. A shame, as julia is more than just the woman in the book. Punishing 1984 puts the audience in room 101 londonist. At art, 1984 is retold with fresh urgency the boston globe. Surveillance state takes centre stage in new 1984 production. Her last name is never given in the novel but she is called dixon in the 1954 bbc tv production. This is a staging that reconsiders a classic with such steely power that it chills brain, blood and bone. Simon coates, left, christopher patrick nolan, hara yannas.
Stuart black punishing 1984 puts the audience in room 101. Join our mailing list to receive regular updates from headlong. It was created and directed by robert icke and duncan macmillan, designed by chloe lamford, lighting was designed by natasha chivers, sound by tom gibbons, and video by tim reid. Orwells 1984 has never seemed so current and terrifying. The production premiered at the nottingham playhouse on friday september 20 in a coproduction with the almeida theatre and headlong. A dazzlingly theatrical take on george orwells futurist masterpiece. Courtesy ben gibbsamerican repertory theatre the members of that discussion group soon reassemble as fellow citizens living under the. Almeidas 1984 is a refreshing take on the george orwell classic. Ive read it several times, but its a story that still has the power to surprise and shock, especially when its adapted with such force as it is here. Matthew spencer will play the role of george orwells winston smith, julia will be played by janine harouni until 25 july, and then hara yannas from 27 july to the end of the run. Much as most every sophomore in high school gets a copy of george orwells 1984 in english class to. A searing and unforgettable adaptation of george orwells dystopian.
Adapted and directed by robert icke and duncan macmillan. This stage version of 1984 is complex, harrowing and ingenious and it. An intense 1984, with echoes of 2016 the washington post. They want to abolish the orgasm she says of big brother. Yet it works all the better for its surreal approach. Hara yannas s julia is composed, defiant, her sensuality helping to tie her to the here and now. It is a brilliant treatment of a book that, for all its heaving horror, has come to. Our autumn season begins very soon with a new staging of one of the most influential novels in recent history, 1984. Hana yannas was very good as julia, although her performance was overshadowed by those of arends, dutton and nolan. His love interest is played by hara yannas, who perfectly embodies a distinct kind of rebelliousness.
The play took place on a musty set with bookshelves and. Join facebook to connect with hara yannas and others you may know. Winstons job in the book is to rewrite and essentially erase parts of history. After forming a friendship with a coworker named julia hara yannas, the pair begin to meet secretly.
Hara yannas, a rebel with equally contemptuous views of the party. Atmosphere rather than plot is the key and this hightech. Adapted by robert icke, duncan macmillan set design by chloe lamford starring sam carne, hara yannas. I cant possibly agree to it, orwell wrote to his us agent in 1949. Shakespeare theatre company 1984 shakespeare theatre. Featuring simon coates, tim dutton, stephen fewell, christopher patrick nolan, ben porter, matthew spencer, mandi symonds, hara yannas, koral kent, and anais killian. So this version is bookended by a discussion, taking place some time. Of course, when i read it, i was a sheltered, suburban teenager growing up in the cold war era, sometime between duck and cover and the recommendation to apply plastic sheeting with duct tape to seal doors and windows as the governments idea of home security measures. Presented by the american repertory theater in association with headlong, almeida theatre, and nottingham playhouse at the loeb drama center, cambridge, ma, through march 6. Mar 20, 2016 at times, it seemed that the headlong theatre companys production of 1984 used all the tricks of a horror movie to unsettle its audience. Hara yannas in 1984 at the playhouse theatre photo. Get cheap and discounted london theatre tickets for all west end shows. I felt the book to be perfect despite its imperfections, beautiful despite the ugliness it depicted and deeply comforting despite. Julia is a fictional character in george orwells 1984 dystopian novel nineteen eightyfour.
Hara yannas gives a lovely controlled performance as julia, a character who could to be seen as cold and robotic. May 10, 2014 stuart black punishing 1984 puts the audience in room 101. An adaptation of the novel by robert icke and duncan macmillan. Matthew spencer will play the role of george orwells winston smith in the hit west end stage production of 1984 this summer. Jonathan glazers remarkable film under the skin, for example, is such an abstracted adaptation of michel fabers book that its almost video art. Gavin spokes as parsons, mandi symonds as mrs parsons and hara yannas as julia. Called a brilliant retelling by the guardian, headlongs production of 1984 explores surveillance, identity, and the security state. Hara yannas plays julia in headlong theater companys production of george orwells 1984. George orwells chilling vision of a dystopian future is brought to life in a. I read nineteen eightyfour when i was around fourteen. Sam crane plays smith as confused and petrified from the start well before any mention of rats and escalates his performance into something remarkable. Scenes of a book club discussing the novel cleverly bookend orwells drama.
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