1984 Blind Summit Theatre and BAC Present

Third Birthday Person!

2009-10-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

On the third week of rehearsals for Blind Summit's 1984,
we had another birthday person, which was...

1984 E-Flyer

2009-10-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

The e-flyer of 1984 is complete...!

click here for the bigger version

Click here to Book!

Room 101 by 1984 casts

2009-10-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone wonders what is in Room 101.
Death by fire, by drawing... Rats...??
1984 casts reveal what would be in their 'Room 101'.

Sound in 1984 - Interview with Chris Branch

2009-10-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Mr. Goldstein interviewed Chris Branch, the sound designer of 1984,
asking how the sound is like in the world of 1984...

You can listen to his music in past posts on our blog
- 'Workshop next door' and 'Puppets parade '.

Happy Brithday to...!

2009-10-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

We had another birthday from the cast of 1984 on the last Thursday 22nd of October!
The birthday person was....

Puppets parade

2009-10-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

The second week of rehearsals for Blind Summit's 1984 is coming to an end.
And today, they have managed to go through ACT 1 and 2!!
Lots of puppets in the show started to appear in the rehearsal room this week...

Workshop next door

2009-10-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

We have a props workshop just next door to the rehearsal room.
Louella, Lucia and Anna are busy making the puppets and props which are going to be used in the show.
Nick, the designer of 1984, is always on hand to make any props as the rehearsals go on!!

Warming Up

2009-10-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

The most exciting time in a day...!

Interview about 1984

2009-10-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

We interviewed the director Mark Down about 1984!

**********
Why did you choose to adapt 1984?

We wanted to do something political. We wanted to work with a story and to make a piece that was story driven. Low Life was driven by the desire to explore to the maximum what the puppets could do. We wanted to do something on a bigger scale to reach a bigger audience.

How relevant do you think the book is today?

Never more than today perhaps. Not just the surveillance culture of cctv, the techno-revolution of the internet, “Big Brother” on TV but also because our country is torturing people in our name, we are at war in at least two countries but live in England as if we are at peace.

But the main message of the book is perhaps that “The Truth” is always in danger and that is timeless. It is in danger because we are too lazy or too frightened or too self involved to fight for it or even to care about it. This book says is that without truth there is no love. And without love there is no life.

How do you want the audience to feel after seeing the show?

Galvanised. Alive. Alarmed.

Why did you choose this specific style of theatre (i.e. visual/physical theatre / Agit prop)?

George Orwell's ambition with 1984 was to write something that combined art and politics. We wanted a form of theatre that did the same thing and Agit Prop was the obvious choice. We also felt that it was possibly a style of theatre that they might have in Oceania in 1984.

How are the puppets used?

Only a few characters in the play are played by puppets – Charrington the shop keeper and Goldstein the Party Enemy Number One. These came about organically. Charrington is a nice little old man who runs a Junk Shop and it just seemed fun.

The main puppet metaphor in the novel is perhaps the language – Newspeak – which is being manipulated to control people's thoughts. In Agit Prop theatre there is a tradition of holding up signs and pictures to help make messages clear – using this we are literally able to make language a puppet.

Has anything/anyone influenced you whilst making 1984?

Mainly we have indulged deeply in George Orwell. His biography, his other novels and essays. Particularly one called “Such Such Were The Joys” and “Down and Out in Paris and London”. We read Brecht – Caucasian Chalk Circle a few times to look at the story telling structure.
Perhaps the biggest influence though is the other people who we are working with. Simon and Giulia and Josie who are in the cast have been working with us on and off all year. And the cast and creative team are revealing so many things to us in rehearsals.

What challenges have you come across whilst making the show?

The main challenge has been adapting the script. When you change a novel into a playscript you lose the author's voice, and the characters in the story, have to tell in the story. In the case of 1984 Orwell is a very powerful story teller, and a great deal of the drama in the book takes place in the lonely head of the main character Winston Smith. We have tried to distill what we thought that main drama is and create relationships that would allow the story to unfold naturally. That is why we came up with the idea of a cast of agit prop players making him act out his story.

What would be your Room 101?

Reruns of Big Brother!

Happy Birthday Julia!

2009-10-17T02:42:00.000-07:00

It was Julia Innocenti's birthday on Thursday.
The company wished her happy birthday and so did Mr. Charrington.

Julia plays JULIA, one of the protagonists in 1984.
Charrington asked what kind of woman JULIA is...

1984 Press release

2009-10-15T02:35:00.000-07:00

See the link below for the 1984 press release

http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Theatre-Review/1984-battersea-arts-centre

1984 - Battersea Arts Centre

Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle

SIXTY years after its publication, Blind Summit Theatre is presenting a new adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 at Battersea Arts Centre – from December 2 to December 23, 2009 and from January 4 to January 9, 2010.

Drawing on agit-prop techniques, the company returns to a simple form of theatre making, using just cardboard props, live actors and puppetry in place of modern digital technology.

And the ensemble – Simon Scardifield, Giulia Innocenti, Josie Daxter, Robin Beer, Alice Barclay, Gergo Danka and Henry Maynard – manipulates objects, people, puppets and the set to tell the story of Winston and Julia’s dissident love affair in a futuristic totalitarian state.

The production marks a new phase in the work of Blind Summit Theatre, bringing actors and puppets together as equal elements on stage for the first time, developing the work they have done in collaboration with other theatre companies.

1984 is the latest project in a long standing relationship between Battersea Arts Centre and Blind Summit Theatre, which has borne a number of genre-breaking productions at the venue, in particular Low Life, which has not only had three sell out London runs but also toured the world with the support of the British Council.

Over the past 12 years, Blind Summit Theatre has established itself as a world leader in high quality puppetry for adult audiences. Their innovative programme of work and collaborations are helping to redefine the art-form in British Theatre today. They are particularly known for their contemporary reworking of the ancient Japanese art-form of Bunraku through collaborations with Anthony Minghella on his acclaimed production of Madam Butterfly at the ENO and the Metropolitan Opera.

Speaking about Blind Summit Theatre, David Jubb and David Micklem, Artistic Directors of BAC, said:

“Blind Summit’s puppetry is capable of mesmerising audiences. We are particularly excited to be co-producing an adaptation of Orwell’s masterpiece, a brilliant and relevant narrative that provides an exciting artistic challenge for Blind Summit. We are looking forward to welcoming audiences to catch the first London run of 1984 after a year of development through Scratch and before the show travels beyond Lavender Hill.”

George Orwell published his novel in 1949, shortly after the Second World War and just one year after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and his story is defined by the great public interest in human rights issues during this era. Moreover, the pertinence of many of Orwell’s observations has increased since the time of writing, with the UK now one of the most surveyed countries in the developed world.

In acknowledgment of the many relevant human rights themes it contains, Amnesty International is working in partnership with BAC and Blind Summit Theatre on the production.

Based on Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (Copyright, 1949) by permission of the Estate of the Late Sonia Brownell Orwell, 1984 is directed by Mark Down, with set and puppet design by Nick Barnes, lighting by Chahine Yavroyan, costume design by Dulcie Best and sound by the production’s composer Chris Branch.

Tickets: £16 (concessions £14 and £12), matinees £10.

Time: 7.30pm, matinees (December 3, 7, 10 and 15 and January 7 and 9) at 2.30pm.

Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes, including interval (subject to change).

Making a Bed - Second day of rehearsals 1984

2009-10-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

The second day of rehearsals for 1984

Today's aim was to create a bed...

It's important to be practical!!

First day of rehearsals…!

2009-10-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Blind Summit Theatre, 7 actors and a creative team of 9 have started their first day of rehearsals for 1984!!

The morning started with a meet and greet over coffee and croissants…and then into a read through of the script.

1984 themed cakes for tea time!

Rehearsals are about to start!!

2009-10-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Blind Summit Theatre will start rehearsals for 1984! Today was last day in the office before everything gets taken to BAC. People have been very busy running around the workshop!

Things to be taken to BAC…

Drawings to take to the rehearsal…??

See you on Monday from the rehearsal room!

Puppets Made of Cardboard

2009-10-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

One of the characters in 1984, Charrington, is wondering why he is made of cardboard... and not expensive silicon!

Our puppet designer Nick Barnes answers...

Costume Meeting 02 Oct 2009

2009-10-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

The world of '1984' ... NO FASHION!

Making guns

2009-10-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

We need lots of them to start a war.
Here is the recipe!

Blind Summit Theatre Office

2009-10-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

One day at Blind Summit Theatre's office....

Starting the rehearsal for '1984' in two weeks!