1984 stage vs. novel?

[ak72090]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 5:13am

for those of you that saw the stage adaptation in London, how urgent do you think it is that my girlfriend reads the novel before we see it on broadway in June? Thanks

[Soaring29]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 5:20am

Although I have not seen the London production, tell her to  read the book first. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 6:22am

The book is a must-read. Can't say the same for the lackluster production though. 

[ak72090]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 7:19am

Hopefully some changes were made to the production. Saw mixed comments on here which is surprising considering the online reviews from London. Either way, fingers crossed they improved it.

[pathman2]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 8:25am

I'd say that reading the novel before seeing this production is an absolute necessity. Much of the play is a weird book club sitting around discussing the book or scenes of Winston writing his diary. It only became interesting/theatrical for me near the end once Julia and Winston are discovered (trying to avoid spoilers). As seen in the West End, Julia is barely in it so I'm surprising they got a name like Olivia Wilde to play her. This clearly is being brought to Broadway to capitalize on the current interest in the book.

Updated On: 4/21/17 at 08:25 AM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 9:07am

I went to see the show having not read the book. There were definitely portions that I found confusing, but they seemed to be deliberately confusing to distort the viewer's sense of reality. Though the book-club thing did sort of leave me scratching my head, so I suppose there's that. Maybe I would have enjoyed the show more if I had read the novel, but for the most part I think I picked up on what was important to pick up on without having read it. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 12:28pm

Wait....does  anyone know if this is the same production that was at the ART  a year or two ago? THAT was intense, and pretty awesome...from what is being said here, it doesn't sound that way...which is disappointing. (My son didn't see the show in Boston, but now, having read the book, is dying to!)

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 12:28pm

Wait....does  anyone know if this is the same production that was at the ART  a year or two ago? THAT was intense, and pretty awesome...from what is being said here, it doesn't sound that way...which is disappointing. (My son didn't see the show in Boston, but now, having read the book, is dying to!)

[ak72090]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 5:04pm

Yeah, it looks like it is:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2016/02/10/art-timeless/6UkwfBKGV5pLpiWn2kwqKI/story.html

 

same team behind its "world tour"

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 7:14pm

I just don't remember anything about a book club. 

[h2nho]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 8:00pm

Hi all!  Long-time lurker, first time poster.  I could not disagree more with the above posters that say this production is lackluster.  I saw it at the Shakespeare Theatre Company when it was in DC and it was honestly one of the most intense and fantastic theatre-going experiences I've been present for.  I know after the performance, I was saying that it could be on Broadway EASILY.  This is the kind of show that does not seem commercial at all, but has vital things to say about society today.  I read that it played to sold-out crowds in Boston and that tickets sold out for the rest of the performances in the middle of its Washington run.  I'm not the kind of person to buy tickets without reading reviews, but I would run, not walk to this show.

I do, however, think that anyone should read the novel first if they've never had the chance to read it before.  I can definitely see how the production would be confusing for those who haven't read it, as it does jump around and is heavily influenced by the little-known epilogue that Orwell included in the original edition of the novel.  (P.S.: That's why the book club is present.  I don't think it detracts from the story at all.  In fact, that's what makes it so prescient, especially towards the end, which I definitely don't want to spoil.)

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 9:18pm

That double post was weird.

Updated On: 4/21/17 at 09:18 PM

[hork]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 11:22pm

Wait, there are people who haven't read 1984?

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 6:44am

Will you need to know the book to enjoy any adaptation? Let's hope not.

Will doing so rob you of the gift of reading text and inventing your own mental world of a novel? Always.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 6:53am

dramamama611 said: "I just don't remember anything about a book club. "

That's the first rule of book club.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 9:50am

haterobics said: "dramamama611 said: "I just don't remember anything about a book club. "

That's the first rule of book club.

 

"

Shhhhh...