04 May 2026
Lesley Cowland is watching Big Brother at the Abbey Theatre…
In light of recent world events, George Orwell’s ‘1984’, seems very apposite for the Company of Ten to put it on now. The world of Oceania where the plot is set and the ‘Big Brother is Watching You’ regime are both scarily close to home.
Being constantly watched on computer screens and fast international communication would, in 1949 when George Orwell wrote his book, have been fantasy, but no longer in this hi-tech digital world. This play adaptation, by Ryan Craig, brings the action into modern day and the stage is set for no individual to have hisor her own thoughts.
Our main character of Winston Smith is excellently played by Roger Bartlett. We are introduced to him as an upright citizen whose body language supports this view, he stands tall and stiff. As the story moves on his stature changes and we see him relax, by the end of the play he has run a complete range of emotions from love to fear of the very worst kind and this is beautifully portrayed by Roger who made this very harrowing part absolutely believable.
Lucy Bishop-Lagget brought Julia to life as the very independent woman who starts a relationship with Winston.
She perfectly imbued a determined woman, who was afraid of nothing and knew her place in the world, even one where this was not allowed. O’Brien, a suave, hard to read character, was confidently played by Daniel Whitehouse. He played the iron hand in the velvet glove very well throughout the play, the malice was there, but hidden in the gentle, calming voice. This was a very competent performance by someone who has not acted for 15 years! Mark Coltman portrayed scruffy, obsequious Parsons with great skill, depicting a character who lived the Big Brother life with conviction and was proud of his children. The supporting actors were very well cast and gave believable performances, especially newcomer Angel Candrea who was a threatening guard.
The stage was dominated for the first half by an impressive and clever piece of scenery – an A frame created by two wooden staircases with very versatile side pieces. This was wheeled which enabled the very efficient stage crew to make rapid scene changes. Apart from being a way of entering and exiting the stage, it served as a chair in Winston’s office.
The sides of the stairs became an outside bench and Winston’s bedroom, and the other side presented a rural scene. There was enough information to make the audience aware of the setting of each scene.
At the end of the first half as Winston’s world crashed around him the set dramatically reflected his situation. The set for the second half was, by contrast, minimal and dark as befitted the action.
From the very start of the play, the audience is made aware of the screens and how they create a powerful form of communication. The female voice was at times very menacing, but also gently informative. This was how the population were told what to do. When information was requested it came up on screens for the audience to see and the background colour changed with the type of information being given. These screens also played their part in showing some of the less easily watched happenings in the second half. The technical team did an excellent job. Making use of the screen technology worked very well, but unfortunately there was some slippage when Winston made his first speech, the words and voice were not in sync.
I wonder if this may have been deliberate for dramatic effect. The first sign showing which Ministry was being featured was difficult to see as it was projected on to the curtains. The Screen and Voice performers were very clear with their diction and added to the overall effect.
The director, Guy Conroy-Smith’s, says: “This story’s power lies in revealing both the resilience of the human spirit and what it takes to break it”, and I think he has achieved this.
He has chosen a wonderful cast and they have portrayed the courage to rebel against Big Brother but the harrowing second act shows how it can be broken.
There was a feeling in the audience during the interval that the next scenes would be a hard watch. It was a difficult and uncomfortable viewing, but it was directed and performed with such skill and dedication that the audience shared the experience and the final scene ended with hope for the future.
This is a very thought-provoking play which has a relevance in today’s world. The acting and staging is exceptional and well worth watching. I recommend you get your tickets soon as it will sell out.
