Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Adaped By: Adam Taub
Director: Jem Wall and Richard Hahlo
“Lacking Creativity “
2 / 5
~This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub ~
George Orwell’s 1984 is a Dystopian classic – written prior to the age of surveillance but brilliantly imagining a world devoid of freedom of speech, thought or personal choice. Fronted by Adam Taub, Pure Expression’s immersive adaptation of 1984 is a commendable effort, but completely lacks both creativity and the gloomy atmosphere that would be required to make this a successful experience.
Visitors to the experience are first given a badge from the Ministry of Truth, the numerical imprint a replacement of your name during the experience, leaning into the concept that people aren’t individuals and instead just another number. You are ushered into a bar area, where a lounge singer sets the atmosphere for the evening ahead – turning ‘Que Sera Sera’ into the Oceania national anthem, while members of the party dressed in boiler suits stand tall to pay respect to the lyrics. The 80+ visitors are then grouped by their badge colour, sent upstairs to the surprisingly lavish Council Chamber to take a seat for the party briefing and assessment that determines your role at the Ministry.
The expectation is that the assessment would actually have some form of impact on your experience – but once the questions are answered, the papers are taken and assumingly disposed of, which feels very wasteful and environmentally inconsiderate to print so many copies unnecessarily when they don’t have any relevance. Jude Akuwudlike plays O’Brien, although having direct contact with Winston in the book, seemingly is just a figurehead with no prior relationship with Winston during the experience. He makes a speech about the importance of the Ministry, and although Akuwudlike is rousing and passionate, the script itself isn’t very impactful, quite a lazy thrown together version that combines various parts of Orwell’s book.
You are shown projected surveillance videos of Winston (Declan Rogers) and Julia (Kit Reeve) meeting illicitly, sure that they have managed to avoid any suspicion from the party and begin their love affair together. Once the video comes to an end, you are bustled back downstairs to view the live surveillance, into the bar area – which has been slightly amended to a small bedroom that Winston and Julia have hidden in. They exchange their disdain for the party rules, their excitement at finally having real chocolate and coffee, and their hopes for the future. Although it does reflect many of the sentiments in the original story, the execution is bland and uninspiring. The setting of Hackney Town Hall too vast and opulent to really convey the ambience required. Winston and Julia are arrested – and visitors are once again shuffled back upstairs into the Council Chamber to view his punishment.
The room has barely changed from the initial party briefing – the only addition, a torture device (a bed with some wires on) that Winston is strapped to. He is challenged about his dedication to the party, unable to fully commit as other comrades had done before him. His betrayal is unforgiveable and so the audience are asked to volunteer to enact the final punishment – supposedly dividing the room on who stands with dictatorship, who stands against – but more realistically, who’s just a bit shy to go up on stage and who isn’t.
Some prior knowledge of 1984 would help in understanding the story itself, there isn’t much backstory or explanation for people that aren’t aware of the 1984 narrative, which would throw them quite confusingly into the strange set up. For those that have read and enjoyed it – it helps by understanding Winston as a character, as well as some of the language used such as ‘double plus good’ and the role of the Ministry of Truth itself.
An experience like this, really needs more creativity and originality to drive the message and story home. As it stands, there is a lot of being herded from room to room – with very little need. The sets aren’t extravagant or different enough to warrant the movement, and the flow would work a bit better if it was either based in one location, or if each location differed enough to give the ‘wow’ moment guests were expecting. Additionally, it would maybe work better with a smaller, more intimate group – there were so many people that it felt more like an ‘ungood’ boring school trip, rather than a fun, exciting, immersive experience.
Runs Until 17 December 2023
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