It has become a cliché to say that George Orwell’s 1984, published more than 75 years ago, is relevant to our turbulent times. But there is a kernel of truth in every cliché, and Within Theatre’s brilliant reworking of the classic underscores its ongoing resonance. Julia. After 1984 is effectively a sequel which, as its title indicates, centres on the character of Julia, Winston’s lover in the original novel, and follows her after she is separated from Winston and imprisoned by the authoritarian regime, the Party.
Big Brother may be watching us but in productions like Julia.1984, artists are watching him back
In Julia. After 1984, Julia, subtly played by Sofia Barysevich, is a determined and forthright young woman who, as the play opens, is seen resisting the Party and its mysterious leader, Big Brother – cleverly conveyed through a video projection of an eye at the back of the stage, watching over both cast and audience. After enduring torture inflicted by Thought Police officer O’Brien – a mesmerising performance by Michael Tcherepashenetsshe, who perfectly captures both the menace and the underlying pathos of the character – she is released from the Ministry of Love. She reunites with her sister, Emma, who, in contrast, has been brainwashed by the Party into doing its dirty work, or her ‘duty’, as she calls it. Julia sets out to discover who reported her and Winston to the Thought Police, exact her revenge and free Winston from the labour camp in Greenland where he has been deported.
But this leads her back to the Ministry of Love, where she again becomes entangled in O’Brien’s mind games. Soon, it is no longer clear who is the persecutor and who the victim. Has Julia capitulated, like Winston, who reportedly declared his love for Big Brother before being deported? Or is she merely feigning allegiance as part of her strategy for revenge? The production cleverly plays with the audience’s expectations.
One yearns for the day when 1984 is no longer relevant, but as authoritarian regimes continue to flourish globally, that day seems increasingly distant. Until then, we should be grateful for Orwell’s prescient novel and for Within Theatre’s powerful modern reworking. Big Brother may be watching us, but artists like those of Within Theatre – all of whom have lived experience of totalitarian regimes such as Belarus and Russia – are, luckily for the rest of us, watching him back.
