Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan’s adaptation of Orwell’s 1984 serves as a suspenseful, disturbing yet entertaining warning to a contemporary audience.
George Orwell’s 1984 is a novel set in a dystopian universe where the government watches over and controls its citizens every move through telescreens, language and the outlawing of , and even thoughts. These people are led to believe whatever the government feeds them without any question. This relevant vision of the future has been adapted to the stage by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan to be a message of the dangers of the digital age and societies acceptance from media.
1984 presents the perfect totalitarianism state of Oceania, giving a taste of what the acceptance of communism might …show more content…
As O’brian explains “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten..” Icke and Macmillan put an emphasis on the appendix of the book, which is a directory of the language of newspeak. The directors say “The appendix is the most important bit. Structurally, the appendix is the thing that defines the whole novel.” The appendix is the most important part as it brings into the true diabolical nature of the Party. In controlling a language there is controlling thought, which is practically mind control.
The lighting and sound effects by Natasha Chivers and Tom Gibbons took centre stage for this production. Blinding lights and overpowering sound effects abused the audience’s senses, invading their personal space which left them feeling as helpless as Winston in his dystopian world. A unnerving white noise warned when more impressive …show more content…
They are constantly reminded that Big Brother is always watching them, knowing if and when they will commit a crime. Set design by __ was envisioned to resemble a Television screen using black barriers looking into the stage, this was as if the audience themselves were the all-seeing Big Brother. Tim Reid’s video design.. Winston and Julia leave the stage believing they are alone, however, a live video displays their every move to the audience. This puts a further emphasis on the Party always watching, even when the lovers believe they have been finally left
George Orwell’s 1984 is a novel set in a dystopian universe where the government watches over and controls its citizens every move through telescreens, language and the outlawing of , and even thoughts. These people are led to believe whatever the government feeds them without any question. This relevant vision of the future has been adapted to the stage by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan to be a message of the dangers of the digital age and societies acceptance from media.
1984 presents the perfect totalitarianism state of Oceania, giving a taste of what the acceptance of communism might …show more content…
As O’brian explains “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten..” Icke and Macmillan put an emphasis on the appendix of the book, which is a directory of the language of newspeak. The directors say “The appendix is the most important bit. Structurally, the appendix is the thing that defines the whole novel.” The appendix is the most important part as it brings into the true diabolical nature of the Party. In controlling a language there is controlling thought, which is practically mind control.
The lighting and sound effects by Natasha Chivers and Tom Gibbons took centre stage for this production. Blinding lights and overpowering sound effects abused the audience’s senses, invading their personal space which left them feeling as helpless as Winston in his dystopian world. A unnerving white noise warned when more impressive …show more content…
They are constantly reminded that Big Brother is always watching them, knowing if and when they will commit a crime. Set design by __ was envisioned to resemble a Television screen using black barriers looking into the stage, this was as if the audience themselves were the all-seeing Big Brother. Tim Reid’s video design.. Winston and Julia leave the stage believing they are alone, however, a live video displays their every move to the audience. This puts a further emphasis on the Party always watching, even when the lovers believe they have been finally left