Writer: George Orwell
Adaptor: Chris Hannan
Director: Dominic Hill
Framed by the real-life decline of George Orwell writing in a hospital bed, Chris Hannan’s chilling adaptation of 1984 delivers an uncomfortably visceral exploration of totalitarian control. Set in a bleak, surveillance-driven state where thought itself is a crime, the story follows low-ranking party worker Winston Smith as he secretly rebels against the omnipresent Big Brother. Directed with precision by Dominic Hill, the production draws subtle parallels between Orwell’s experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the inner workings of his terrifying dystopian vision. By having Jack Tarlton portray both the ailing Orwell and Winston Smith, the staging creates a direct visual link between the author’s real-world disillusionment with political propaganda and his protagonist’s fictional rebellion.
The production’s true triumph lies in its relentless, suffocating atmosphere. Act Two, in particular, becomes an uncomfortable watch as short, snappy scenes are punctuated by sudden blackouts and deafening, distorted soundscapes composed by Nikola Kodjabashia and designed by Mark Melville. Designer Tom Piper places much of the second half behind a translucent gauze, creating a stark physical distance that leaves the audience helplessly looking in while the characters remain trapped within their own nightmare. Under Lizzie Powell’s interrogation-style lighting design, the physical and auditory pressure within Room 101 becomes completely inescapable.
Rather than forcing heavy-handed modern metaphors onto the text, Hill lets the inherent horror of Orwell’s themes speak for itself. The manipulation of truth is made blindingly obvious through simple, devastating beats such as the quiet, unchallenged alteration of statistics, making the mechanics of state control feel uncomfortably real. Coupled with effective video design by Heather Scott, the performance refuses to draw lazy conclusions for its audience, letting the terror sit quietly and heavily in the room instead.
Jack Tarlton leads the cast superbly, balancing Orwell’s physical fragility against Winston’s quiet, determined hope. His scenes alongside Jessica Hardwick’s fiercely spirited Julia offer a fragile glimmer of humanity, giving the narrative its emotional heart before the state closes in. Irene MacDougall is commanding as O’Brien, bringing a quiet, terrifying precision to the second-act interrogations, while Peter Collins adds a disturbing creepiness as Charrington. Guided by Emily Jane Boyle’s sharp movement direction, the ensemble convincingly captures the rigid, uneasy rhythm of a population under constant scrutiny.
Despite the suffocating dread, the production grips the room so completely that looking away is never an option. It leaves the audience clinging to a fragile sense of hope, quietly asking if it is already too late.
Runs until 26 September 2026 | Image: Mihaela Bodlovic
