Review: 1984 by Box Tale Soup at The Atkinson in Southport
‘War is peace; freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength’.
It’s astonishing to think that ‘1984’, the dystopian masterpiece George Orwell wrote about totalitarianism, surveillance, and individuality in a repressive society back in 1949, is as relevant today as the day he wrote it in some parts of the world.
1984 by George Orwell and performed by Box Tale Soup opened at The Atkinson in Southport tonight (Tuesday 10th March 2026) and was received with a loud round of applause at the end.
The show is performed again at The Atkinson on Wednesday (11th March 2026).
‘To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free: From the age of uniformity, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink… greetings!’
Award-winning Box Tale Soup, known for their ingenious sets and slick storytelling, use unique puppetry as a striking metaphor for Orwell’s chilling vision of power and control.
It adds another dimension to a production where you are constantly wondering – who is lying? Who is telling the truth? What is ‘truth’?
The year is 1984, perhaps – it is impossible to tell for certain. We are being watched, Big Brother is everywhere, truth changes daily, and everyone conforms.
But for Winston Smith, insignificant cog in the Party’s vast machine, this half-life is not enough. He dreams of freedom, but is he the only one? Dreams can be deadly when rebellion begins with a thought.
Featuring the voices of Sophie Aldred & Joanna Lumley, with Simon Russell Beale as the voice of Big Brother.
Winston dares not rebel, either in deed or in thought.
But when he finds love he discovers a small taste of freedom and begins to dream – only to be ruthlessly betrayed.
He is hurled into the dreaded ‘Room 101’ where people endure the most abject terrors and torture imaginable – it sounds like a weekend in Blackpool.
Will his will be crushed? Or can love and emotion endure against a totalitarian regime determined to control every aspect of life?
It’s sad that 1984 as a fable endures so strongly to this day.
In so many regimes it’s very close to reality, while ‘Big Brother’ is seen as something of a playbook by others with dreams of power.
The book should be required reading.
This imaginative production, with its three excellent performers, really does it justice with a gripping, thought-provoking performance.
- For tickets and more details visit: 1984 by George Orwell – The Atkinson
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