John Hurt has given his support to the Paper Zoo Theatre Company’s live stage production of 1984 at the National Media Museum in Bradford to commemorate the 60th anniversary of George Orwell’s seminal novel.
The legendary actor will appear on the Museum’s Cinerama screen as Big Brother in perfect unison with the production of 1984 as the Museum’s Pictureville Cinema is transformed into a theatrical venue for one-night only on Wednesday 3 June at 7.30pm and we have a pair of tickets for one lucky winner – click here for your chance to get your mitts on them!*
Representatives from Paper Zoo and the National Media Museum filmed the actor for his on-screen appearance which will be projected live onto the cinema screen during the performance. Hurt was also recorded reading a passage from the original novel which will be played during the production. This represents the first time Hurt has been involved in 1984 since filming the Michael Radford version of the film 25 years ago which also starred Richard Burton.
Commenting on the production John Hurt said: “Any group of individuals whose singular intention is to enrich our lives should be seriously encouraged. This most certainly applies to Paper Zoo and the National Media Museum. Having played Winston Smith in the film of 1984, it was very interesting to jump over the fence and portray Big Brother and I really enjoyed meeting all those concerned. I wish them every possible success.”
Published in 1949, George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted a totalitarian future and made a deep impression with its many phrases such as ‘Big Brother is watching you’, ‘newspeak’ and ‘double-think’ entering popular use. The production will encapsulate the drama and fear ever-present in the play and provide the audience with a unique insight into the mind of George Orwell.
1984 (Live Stage Production)
Pictureville Cinema
National Media Museum, Bradford
Wednesday 3 June 2009, 7.30pm,
Tickets £12 (concessions £9)
Box office: 0870 7010200
*The lucky prize winner was Kerryanne Wilson of Leeds*