George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is considered a seminal work of 20th-century fiction, and since its publication in 1949, has been adapted and reinterpreted countless times. Shake & Stir Theatre Company, who are no strangers to adapting works of fiction, have remounted this literary classic with a season at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne as part of a national tour.
This production is clearly helmed by a team who are incredibly passionate about the original novel. From performances to sound design, Shake & Stir successfully bring the story to life.
For those unfamiliar with the original text, 1984 is a dystopian sci-fi story set in a nation ruled by a totalitarian government known as The Party. In this country, an unseen Big Brother watches every citizen’s every move. The Thought Police prevent anyone from even dreaming of revolting against The Party.
The story follows a man named Winston Smith (Michael Whalley) as he attempts to rebel with the help of his lover Julia (Chloe Bayliss). The text has been adapted by Shake & Stir’s Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij, who deliver a largely faithful interpretation of the original novel.
Whalley and Bayliss have wonderful chemistry with each other on stage. For a romance that occurs very suddenly, the care the two characters have for one another is conveyed very well. The other standout performer is David Whitney as the inner party member O’Brien. Whitney delivers a truly frightening performance.
Accompanying these three is Abhilash Kaimal and Steven Rooke playing a few supporting characters. Kaimal brings a needed level of warmth to the production as the shopkeeper Charrington. Rooke plays Parsons, a fairly complex character who introduces the audience to some of the harsher realities of life in the world of 1984.
Director Michael Futcher has managed to achieve a lot from a very economically sized cast. All performers, aside from Whalley, also portray police officers, workers, proles, and other background roles whose presence lend more life to the production.
Shake & Stir brings the dark reality of 1984 to life with a grand blown-up faux-concrete set, designed by Josh McIntosh, featuring a large wall of television screens upstage. Throughout the production, the audience’s attention is drawn to the screens with various audio-visual segments designed by Craig Wilkinson.
At the start of the show, there are a couple of times when actors leave the stage, only for the action to continue on the screen through the lens of security cameras in other rooms. These are pre-recorded but inserted as though they were happening in the moment. It’s an excellently pulled off visual trick that thankfully isn’t overused through the rest of the production.
More than anything else, however, this screen is used to give us an insight into our main character’s own thoughts. A close-up of Michael Whalley’s face takes over the screen, speaking Winston’s thoughts.
The set and audio-visual design are supported by further impressive work in the sound and lighting departments. Sound designer Guy Webster especially deserves praise for an incredibly immersive soundscape, pulling the audience into the world and putting us on edge through the entire production.
Lighting designer Jason Glenwright also aids in bolstering the production’s atmosphere, striking the audience with grand flashes of light as bombs are dropped. As Winston is smacked in the head with a nightstick, the audience feels the violence.
The adaptation of the original text isn’t always perfect. While the core of the story is intact, some nuance is lost. In the novel, when Winston fixes his neighbour’s sink, he meets their children, a Big Brother and a Little Sister. The Big Brother is completely obsessed with following the rules laid out by The Party and rooting out thought criminals, despite still being a child, while the Little Sister follows him and watches. With both the children in this production being girls, the metaphor is much less effective.
Later in the show, when Winston meets with Charrington for the second time, Winston references their last meeting as having been a few months ago, only for a date to come up in the next scene that sets it less than a month after the opening scenes of the show. Details like these are ultimately small in a production that has otherwise done an incredible job of adapting this classic text for the stage.
Shake & Stir Theatre Company’s 1984 is an excellent adaptation of a literary classic, staged at a time when its story is very much in need of being heard.
Shake & Stir Theatre Co’s 1984 Melbourne season runs to 6 July at the Comedy Theatre.
The tour continues throughout 2025, concluding in Brisbane with a season that runs at QPAC from 29 October – 9 November. For a full list of tour dates/venues and to book tickets visit the website.
Tickets available here.
Website: http://www.shakendstir.com.au
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/shakeandstir/
Photo credits: Joel Devereux
