1984 is Coming From London to Broadway
By Jenn Reid
George Orwell’s 1984 play is about to make the move to Broadway, just as America lives through the real thing.
George Orwell’s 1984 is really having a moment. Not only has it recently topped the Amazon Best Seller List and sold out of copies, but it’s on stage right now in London, the land of Brexit, and will soon be travelling to Broadway, in the land of Donald Trump. 1984 is a dystopian story about war, constant government surveillance, and media manipulation — can’t imagine why people would be interested in that now!
1984 is possibly Orwell’s most well-known work. It’s given us the concepts of Big Brother (as in, being watched by cameras 24/7), thoughtcrimes (being arrested for thinking against the government), and 2 + 2 = 5 (something obviously fake that people are required to believe anyway. Today, we just call it an ‘alternative fact.’) It’s also part of the reason people use the word “Orwellian” to describe totalitarian regimes, police states, or Donald Trump’s administration.
The show received positive reviews in its London run, especially for its stage design and multimedia elements depicting surveillance and propaganda. Cameras follow the actors and video monitors appear as the story’s ‘telescreens,’ screens that double as security cameras and a vehicle for propaganda.
While this is the first major stage production of 1984, the story has been adapted for the screen multiple times before. The most notable occurrence was the 1984-released film which starred John Hurt, Richard Burton, and Suzanna Hamilton. Paul Greengrass is currently in talks to make another film adaptation of the story. Considering how relevant 1984 has become, it’d be a welcome remake for once.
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The play will make its move from London’s West End to Broadway in June 2017, assuming we’re all still alive by then. Can’t wait to see Mike Pence there!