Get set for an immersive production of 1984 by a theatre company that really knows what they’re doing.
‘Big brother is watching you.’ The eerie slogan lingers throughout George Orwell’s 1984 like a spectre.
Well now Londoners, perhaps it’s time that you got to watching Big Brother. And no, we don’t mean tuning in to a bit of reality TV. We’re talking about a slick new immersive production of the great Orwellian novel set to run from the 19th of October to the 26th of November this year.
What Can You Expect?
This production of 1984 comes from Pure Expression Theatre, a company that specialises in taking over public spaces and turning them into a stage for immersive plays.
Previously their works have ranged from productions of Frankenstein touring the grand libraries of Britain to quirkier shows like one at the Grant Museum of Zoology involving a talking version of Einstein’s brain that would answer questions about the museum and the world in general.
For 1984 they’ve taken things to a whole new level, taking over Hackney Town Hall. Bear in mind that this Grade II Listed building won a RIBA London Award back in 2018 for its outstanding renovation and imagine the Ministry of Truth being recreated in its corridors…
Under the direction of Jem Wall and Richard Hahlo (who’ve garnered plenty of shine through their own immersive theatre company Hydrocracker), Pure Expression have adapted the story to make it work for the town hall.
They’ve run with the notion that in today’s world, where your online life is recorded by the tech giants and the government has the power to listen into your phone conversations or watch you through a CCTV-saturated city, we might be closer to Orwell’s vision of 1984 than we think.
1984: Practical Information
When: 19th October – 26th November 2023
Where: Hackney Town Hall
Tickets: From £27.50 per person
