I have never visited the Harlequin Theatre in Northwich before and, my goodness, what a little gem it is! Unprepossessing from the outside, this 96-seater black box theatre is tucked away amidst cul-de-sacs and industrial units on the outskirts of Northwich town centre. It’s an intimate venue, which the Harlequin Players are clearly very adept at using to its full potential (it has been their home for forty-one years now). It proved to be the perfect space for their latest production, an in-house adaptation of George Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel, 1984.
The narrative of the play centres on Winston Smith, an Ingsoc Party worker in the Ministry of Truth, and his conflict, both internal and external, with the regime, of which he is part. Set in a horrific near-future where totalitarian rule has taken hold and reality is what the Party decrees, Winston is a cog in the machinery responsible for the industrialised expunging of history and replacing it with the Party’s version of ‘truth’. Winston’s memory will not allow him to accept the Party’s lies and as his distrust deepens it opens him up to temptation from Julia, an outwardly fanatical Party member with a secret predilection for physical pleasure, with whom he falls in love. Their illicit affair and encounters with others who seemingly share their scepticism of Party dogma, embolden Winston to seek out a resistance movement and pledge to bring down the Party – whatever it takes.
However, it hardly needs me to say that this work is about so much more than a linear narrative. In Orwell’s alternate universe he explores themes such as the nature of reality, the illusion of individualism, the power of language and the paradoxical nature of freedom. Staggeringly, a novel published 76 years ago has never felt more vibrant and relevant.
Directorially, this was a triumph. In French a director is called a ‘réalisateur’ which literally means ‘the person who makes things real’ and that seems a much more fitting title for Robert Meadows, given what he has achieved here. Every element of the production has been thoughtfully woven together to transport the audience into an alternate reality. From the very moment of arrival, being greeted by a slideshow detailing Party achievements interspersed with propagandist slogans, this is a fully immersive and unsettling experience. What I hadn’t realised until after the performance was that Robert was also responsible for adapting the script from the original novel. The craftsmanship required to painstakingly capture every nuance of Orwell’s world whilst simultaneously exploring its messages and crafting a piece of drama that works for the stage and is engaging, even thrilling, for the audience, is truly impressive.
The production design by Laura Elizabeth, lighting and videography by James Clifford and composition and sound design by Andy Walker were also exceptional. Each element on its own was expertly executed but collectively they worked in harmony to not only deepen the illusion but also played into the thematic exploration. The use of AI generated imagery and video alongside stock footage underlined the challenge we face nowadays in determining truth from fiction. The adaptation of ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’ into the Oceania anthem reinforced the theme of misremembering and manipulation. The repeated use of the Party logo, a combination of an all-seeing eye overlayed with recognisable communist and totalitarian iconography, which was emblazoned on flags, uniforms and graphic backdrops heightened our collective sense of oppression and claustrophobia.
Mark Arfur as Winston Smith gave an intense and emotional performance expertly exploring the turmoil at play beneath the surface as the character battles his inner demons and comes to the growing realisation that not all is as it is purported to be. What is even more impressive is that Mark was a late addition to the cast. To take on a central role of such complexity mid-way through a rehearsal process must have been a challenging prospect, but one that he absolutely surmounted. Julia was played by Miranda Chance who did an excellent job in emphasising the physicality of the character in contrast to the contemplative Winston. Matt Bird’s portrayal of O’Brien caused me to debate with myself, initially I was concerned that his performance was perhaps too muted but as the play progressed the understatement only added to the sinister menace and ultimately his performance in the torture scene was one of the most captivating of the evening.
Other parts were played by Francis Harcombe, Elizabeth Gorman, Liv Deakin and Holly Jackson who collectively served to amplify the menace and sense of suffocation and individually delivered some stand out performances as supporting characters. Particularly engaging were Holly’s portrayal of newspeak expert Syme, executed by the Party for being too intelligent and the recreation of the Parson family whose children were spying on their parents which meant that, despite their brattish behaviour, they could not be disciplined for fear of retribution. Again, I understand that Holly was a late addition to the cast only joining in the last week – an amazing achievement.
If I had one note it would be that there were times when I thought that some of the actors were holding back emotionally and could have pushed even harder to deepen the suspension of disbelief but then I suppose such an approach would always have to be tempered with staying within the confines of the oppressive, suffocating world that they had created from themselves.
Overall, this is a highly original, thought provoking and challenging piece of drama that has been expertly crafted and lovingly curated by a creative team who are clearly very good at what they do and care deeply about what they produce, and it shows!
1984 runs until Sat 18h October 2025 at the Harlequin Theatre (7.45pm nightly with a matinee performance at 2pm on Saturday), limited tickets are still available at 1984 by George Orwell Adapted for the stage by Robert Meadows at The Harlequin Theatre event tickets from TicketSource.
Reviewer: Dan Grimes
Reviewed: 15th October 2025
North West End UK Rating: