Posted: 9/25/17 at 4:31pm
Hey guys!
I recently saw "1984" at the Hudson (a beautiful theatre) and was curious to hear other responses. I did search in the search bar, but nothing turned up. (If you must, feel free to post links to other threads discussing the show.)
Overall, I thought it was a very well staged production (The graphic torture wasn't what I'd expected. I thought it was handled well and they could have done a lot more.), but I think the writing was very uneven. The same goes for the performances. Tom Sturridge was unsettling as Winston and Olivia was fine in an undeveloped role, but I think that Reed Birney stole the show (not to my surprise). However, the Mother gave one of the most absurd performances I have seen recently and the rest of the ensemble basically had non-roles, but they carried their weight.
(Quick question... does the Mother scream her lines like that every night during the chocolate scene, or was I just there on an off day. That was probably the most jarring part of the show for me.)
Also, I was happy to see that no late seating... meant no late seating for once. A patron did leave to use the restroom mid-show and I saw her return during the curtain call. Good on the Hudson!
