Broadway NewsBroadway’s 1984 Plays Final Performance October 8The stage adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian novel stars Tom Sturridge, Olivia Wilde, and Tony winner Reed Birney.
By
Ryan McPhee
October 08, 2017
Olivia Wilde, Tom Sturridge, and cast
Julieta Cervantes
A timely production of 1984 ends its Broadway run October 8 at the Hudson Theatre. With the Sunday evening final bow, the adaptation of the George Orwell novel will have played 38 previews and 125 regular performances (opening night was June 22, making it the first production of the 2017–2018 season).
Tony winner Reed Birney, Tony nominee Tom Sturridge, and Olivia Wilde star.
1984 at the Hudson Theatre
Marc J. Franklin
The staging, produced on Broadway by Scott Rudin and Sonia Friedman, premiered at Nottingham Playhouse in 2013 before transferring the following year to London’s Almeida Theatre, where it went on to play four engagements.
Following reports of audience members fainting during the graphic and jarring staging, the production enforced an age restriction: no one under the age of 13 will be allowed to enter the theatre. The decision also followed a string of onstage incidents and injuries.
Birney, Wilde, and Sturridge take on the roles of O'Brien, Winston Smith, and Julia, respectively. Joining them are Wayne Duvall as Parsons, Carl Hendrick Louis as Martin, Nick Mills as Syme, Michael Potts as Charrington, and Cara Seymour as Mrs. Parsons.
The adaptation features a script by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan, who also directs. Like the novel, the play is set in a dystopian version of what was once Great Britain, where critical thought is threatened by a totalitarian regime.
The creative team includes scenic and costume designer Chloe Lamford, lighting designer Natasha Chivers, sound designer Tom Gibbons, and video designer Tim Reid.
The Hudson Theatre, which was recently renovated and reopened its doors earlier this year with Sunday in the Park with George, will next be home to The Parisian Woman, starring Uma Thurman. The Beau Willimon play starts previews November 9.
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Take a Look at Opening Night of Broadway’s 1984
Take a Look at Opening Night of Broadway’s 1984
The show stars Tony winner Reed Birney, Tony nominee Tom Sturridge, and Olivia Wilde in her Broadway debut.
