Hackney Town Hall, with its Art Deco architecture, is quite a fitting location for George Orwell’s Dystopian 1984. Creator Adam Taub immersive show is a more condensed version of the book and movie so knowledge of either is helpful for anyone going to the show.
As I stand in reception, the television behind front desk shows news coverage of the Israel/ Hamas conflict. This is not part of the show but seems rather fitting.
We are allocated a number on a badge which we must wear throughout. We are ordered by a woman in navy overalls from the “Ministry of Truth” to read the notice about what we are to expect. We must switch off our mobile phones. Our badge dictates if we are blue, green or red.
We are shown into a hall. A woman sings the Vera Lynn’s song “We’ll meet again”. She is accompanied by a man playing keyboard. We are instructed to stand for the “Oceania national anthem” which uses the music of ka sura sura but with more sinister lyrics.
At 9pm we are instructed to finish our drinks and ushered up to the council chambers where we must complete personality tests.
We are given an induction from O’Brien (Jude Akuwudike). He informs us of an illegal affair between a man and woman. The man is Winston (Declan Rodgers) and the much younger woman is Julia (Kit Reeve). We are shown footage of them on a screen as they meet in a field.
To tell you anything beyond this would be a spoiler for anyone that wants to go an experience this first hand. I highly recommend you do if you want to get a sense of what it is like to live in a Totalitarian regime where big brother is watching your every move and your thoughts are constantly monitored by the “thought police”.
