Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan’s hugely successful adaptation of 1984 will bring George Orwell’s classic tale of government surveillance and censorship back to the West End in June.
The Olivier Award nominated hit, first seen in London early in 2014, will return to the Playhouse Theatre from 12 June (press night 18 June) until 5 September.
Set in the year of its title and inspired by the appendix of the novel, the stage version of 1984 charts the story of Winston Smith, an employee of the Ministry of Truth who spends his working days rewriting newspaper articles to make history support the views of the Party.
Exploring a dystopian future where individualism and independent thought are outlawed, the show follows Winston as he begins writing a diary and falls in love under the watchful eye of Big Brother.
After receiving its world premiere at the Nottingham Playhouse in September 2013, 1984 made its London debut at the Almeida Theatre in February 2014, when The Telegraph’s Charles Spencer described the new twist on the tale as “A production of sharp ingenuity and jolting dramatic clout”.
The show later transferred to the Playhouse Theatre, where it enjoyed an extended run and was deemed “Playful and provocative… Stylish and sophisticated” by the Evening Standard’s Fiona Mountford.
Returning alongside the production are the aptly priced tickets, which will once again allow 101 theatregoers per performance to see the show at the doubleplusgood price of £19.84.
The Headlong, Almeida and Nottingham Playhouse co-production will open at the Playhouse Theatre following the current run of Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical, which closes earlier than planned on 23 May.
While 1984’s 2014 runs saw both Mark Arends and Sam Crane take on the role of Winston, casting for the show’s return is still to be announced.