1984

This much anticipated production of 1984 is sadly flawed, not the performance, but the writing. This adaptation by Duncan MacMillan will annoy purists and most fans of George Orwell's original work. Nonetheless, the strength of that original shines through, particularly for newcomers. There were some skateboarders, with their boards, at the back the night I attended, and they loved it. Indeed, as ever, the cleverness of 1984 comes across in the multiple reactions which it engenders in its audience, and in its eternal lessons.

George Orwell's 1984, written in 1948, portrays a grim dystopian future in which 'the Party', led by the omnipresent Big Brother, rules 'Oceania' through relentless surveillance and thought control. Protagonist Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of the 'Outer Party' employed at the Ministry of Truth, spends his days altering historical records to align with the regime's ever changing version of reality. Disillusioned, he embarks on a forbidden diary and then begins an illicit affair with Julia, a fellow worker employed to "tend the machines that create fiction" – interestingly Orwell predicted AI here. The two seek fleeting moments of humanity amid the oppression, but their rebellion draws the attention of the 'Thought Police', leading to Winston's arrest, and harrowing torture in the 'Ministry of Love.'

The greatness of the piece comes not least in the differing audience reactions which it creates. One theatre goer thought it was obviously all about the current "Islamofascist regime in Iran", another saw it as a reference to contemporary China with its sophisticated attempts at mind control and continuous surveillance through technology. Both are very valid views.

But we should perhaps look a little closer to home as well. Central to the piece, and indeed our reactions to it, is the new language Orwell invented – Newspeak. This has been introduced by the totalitarian Party to corrupt the very meaning of language and permit alternative truths. In this sense, others see the Manoel production as a reference to the current debate around 'Fake News.' Or, if you like, a posing of the question: is it the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America?

But what is clever about Newspeak is that it is intended not just to permit propaganda, but through its restructuring of language and manipulation of words, to make negative, unpermitted thoughts themselves almost impossible. As such, one final group declares this play to be a clear indictment of the rise of political correctness and the cult of woke. The elimination of gender pronouns in language, or the blurring between singular and plural with the newly required use of "they," linguistic changes enforced to achieve political goals.

That so many people can come away with so many different interpretations is a testament to the golden treasure trove of evergreen truth that is at the heart of this work.

What is most disappointing is that much of the rewriting for this production has corrupted and blunted the original. Winston's inevitable downfall is too clearly signposted (this could perhaps be corrected by the Director). The relationship between Winston and Julia is not given enough room to grow. And the chorus in Winston's head at the beginning makes the first ten minutes of the play very slow.

More successful is the updating of the technology necessary in a science fiction work nearly 80 years old. As are the performances by Edward Caruana Galizia as Winston, and Tina Rizzo as Julia. And the torture scenes are as shocking as ever. This is not a play for children. But perhaps it is one that is important for the skateboarders.