George Orwell’s 1984 announces casting and tour dates

Theatre Royal Bath has announced casting for the new adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, touring from next month.

Written by Ryan Craig (The Holy Rosenbergs, Our Class) and directed by Lindsay Posner (Noises Off, A View From The Bridge), the piece will debut in Bath from 20 to 28 September 2024, before heading to Malvern Theatre (1 to 5 October), Poole’s Lighthouse Theatre (8 to 12 October), Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (15 to 19 October), Cambridge Arts Theatre (22 to 26 October), Theatre Royal Brighton (29 October to 2 November), Richmond Theatre (12 to 16 November) and Liverpool Playhouse (19 to 23 November).

1984 was originally published in 1949 and has been described as “one of the most chillingly prescient novels of the last century”. It imagines a world, suffering under the influence of mass surveillance and totalitarianism ruled by a dictatorial leader (or symbol) known as Big Brother.

The cast includes Keith Allen (The Young Ones) as O’Brien, alongside Mark Quartley (Inside Man) as Winston, Eleanor Wyld (Macbeth) as Julia and David Birrell (King John) as Parsons. Niamh Bennett will play the Voice of the Telescreen, with Lewis Hart as the camera operator.

The creative team includes Justin Nardella (set, costume and video design), Paul Pyant (lighting design) and Giles Thomas (sound design), alongside associate video designer Stanley Orwin-Fraser, casting director Ginny Schiller, associate director George Jibson and assistant designer Lorelei Cairns.

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