Lost In Transit brings a fresh, new adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, translating the piercing themes of disillusionment, fear and betrayal in a formidable, immersive experience for the audience.
The plot follows Winston Smith, who on the surface is a seemingly ordinary and obedient man, but is struggling internally to live through the repressive regime of society. Freedom of expression is not only strongly discouraged, it carries the penalty of death. Brainwashed into ‘The Party’s’ propaganda, the characters must either rebel to obtain a sense of meaning and face almost certain death, or carry on surviving in a soulless existence. In the most unlikely, severe environment, two people’s love blossoms in secrecy, Winston and Julia; they must fight against the odds to be together.
The play excelled in creating and sustaining an unsettling atmosphere. To truly immerse the audience, the actors broke the fourth wall at the beginning and end of each act, involving the audience as part of the same terrifying world the characters inhabit. It had both a disconcerting and at times, reassuring effect.
The prominent characters were usually dressed in grey overalls, encompassing the drab uniformity of society, all drained of individuality and expression. Similarly, the production’s use of lighting was incredibly effective in eliciting this atmosphere and tone on stage. White lighting often accompanied the minimal set design to create a bleak, colourless atmosphere; bland coloured props such as semi-transparent screening and chairs which represented different objects such as guns, torture devices, toilets, were used on stage to embody the cold, austere environment the characters live in. At times, the white stage lighting was quite dim which conveyed the internal struggles of the characters, the repressed emotions painted over with fake smiles and performative excitement.
When brighter colours arrived on stage, it was cleverly used to signify minor acts of rebellion from the characters, such as the piece of blue coral Winston buys off a secret seller, or the pink lingerie top Julia reveals she is wearing beneath her grey uniform. Both instantly contrasted against the lack of colour on stage, illustrating both Winston and Julia’s desire to break free from The Party’s rules. A red spotlight was used at times to instil a feeling of trepidation in the audience, and symbolise the threat of danger impending.
All of the cast gave an outstanding performance but Christine Mackie as O’Brien was a truly powerful embodiment of a twisted and power-corrupted character, expertly employing an intimidating presence through her facial expressions and body language. Rupert Hill embodied the intense struggle of the protagonist Winston Smith, and had genuinely tangible chemistry with his love interest Julia played by Katie Marie Carter. Moreover, the interrogation scene between Winston and O’Brien became the most chilling, tense moment of the night because the stark power dynamics between the government and the people became palpable. The utterly powerless position of Winston against the unstoppable Thought Police reveals that any attempt to resist this government is futile. The small spark of hope is snuffed out.
Orwell wrote his dystopian novel 1984 in a society in the midst of an unknown future amongst global politics. England had seen firsthand the dangers of totalitarianism in Nazism and Stalinism. It is no surprise of the potency with which Orwell’s 1984 novel inspired and was received by society both then and now. However, 1984 can feel a bit too familiar than we might like to admit.
A cleverly directed play, an immersive cage of mindgames, Lost In Transit’s 1984 will sit powerfully but perhaps uneasily in the audience’s mind long after the performance has ended.
Lost In Transit’s 1984 is currently on tour across the UK.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
