1984 – Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

I first read 1984 in a philosophy class at high school. Back then I remember thinking how dystopian it was, one of those books that the teacher chose to make you think about how easily things could go terribly wrong, but in a way that still felt removed from reality.

This new adaptation by Chris Hannan, directed by Dominic Hill, makes an interesting choice by bringing Orwell himself into the story. The play opens with the writer in a tuberculosis hospital in Scotland, where conversations with his doctor offer a glimpse into the political experiences that helped shape the novel. Jack Tarlton plays both Orwell and Winston Smith, moving between the real man and the fictional character whose world is slowly falling apart.

I found this framing particularly interesting because it gives the story another dimension. We’re not just watching Winston struggle against a terrifying political system; we’re also being reminded of where Orwell’s ideas came from. It makes the novel feel less like an imagined nightmare and more like a story rooted in things that had already happened.

Tom Piper’s set is dominated by industrial scaffolding, creating a bleak, imposing space that feels more like a structure designed to contain people than somewhere they could ever feel at home. Projections, lighting and a harsh electronic soundscape add to the atmosphere, with the abrupt changes and blackouts making the transitions between scenes feel unsettling. The production doesn’t need to show Big Brother constantly for his presence to be felt. The whole environment seems to operate under the assumption that somebody is always watching.

The story itself moves from Winston and Julia’s attempt to find something resembling freedom through their relationship to the much darker reality of what happens when the Party discovers their rebellion. Jessica Hardwick brings Julia into the centre of that struggle, while Irene Macdougall’s O’Brien embodies the disturbing power of a system that doesn’t simply demand obedience but wants to control what people believe. And Tarlton’s double role brings the two strands of the story together in a way that makes you think about the relationship between Orwell’s experiences and the nightmare he created.

It’s in the movement from rebellion to interrogation and torture that the story becomes particularly difficult to sit with. Winston’s struggle is not simply about surviving physically. It’s about trying to hold on to something he knows to be true, even when everything around him is designed to make him doubt himself. That, to me, is the most frightening idea in the whole story.

And it’s also where I found myself thinking about the present day. Not because I believe we’re living in Orwell’s fictional world but because the manipulation of information and the constant battle over what is true feel increasingly difficult to ignore. I think that’s what makes this production relevant without needing to turn the play into a direct comparison with current politics. What stayed with me most was the contrast between how I understood the book at school and how I see it now. Back then, its world seemed extreme and distant. Now, some of its questions feel much closer to home. Perhaps that’s simply what happens when you revisit a book at a different point in your life. Or perhaps it’s a reminder that warnings don’t necessarily become less important just because we’ve heard them before.

Orwell wrote a dystopia. I just wish it were easier to look at it now and feel that it belongs entirely to the world of fiction. 1984 is at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh until 7th November 2026. This new adaptation by Chris Hannan is co-produced with Citizens Theatre and Dundee Rep Theatre. Running time: approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes, including an interval.

Reviewer: Nazaret Ranea

Reviewed: 27th October 2026

North West End UK Rating: