@ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 2 Apr 2016
For many, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is unlikely to be the first work that comes to mind as being a contender for a ballet adaptation. It is such a literary work, its ideas so suspended in words, it is hard to imagine it being muted. On the other hand, given that we seem intent on allowing so much of Orwell’s vision to become reality—one only has to think of Edward Snowden’s revelations regarding the scope of government surveillance, and the UK’s draft Investigatory Powers Bill—it is surely very timely that Orwell’s text is being revisited.
Undoubtedly, everything about Northern Ballet’s reimagining of Orwell’s work is well-polished. Jonathan Watkins’ choreography is exceptionally clear and concise, and is particularly powerful in the scenes of collective obsessional behaviour (directed against the enemies of the state). It is somewhat less convincing at depicting the horror of Winston Smith’s torture in Act II, however, where unfortunately the choreography loses much of its focus and drive.
The dancing is extremely good throughout, with both Martha Leebolt (Julia) and Tobias Batley (Winston Smith) absolutely outstanding. The latter dance so well together, their physical language is so in tune, it is beautiful to watch: their love duet in Act I, for example, is in many ways the highlight of the ballet.
Every aspect of the production’s design is thoughtfully conceived and precisely realised. The only weak link is Alex Baranowski’s score, which with its mashup of styles seems very dated, and has lost most of its energy by the time we get to the ballet’s climax in Act II. Nevertheless, it is impeccably played by Northern Ballet Sinfonia under Nathan Fifield.
Yet, despite the impeccable quality of Northern Ballet’s 1984, and the commitment of everyone involved, it does lack a certain amount of edge. The creative risk continues to be all Orwell’s: the ballet pushes very few boundaries itself, and even given the subject matter, it feels too safe.
This is a shame, as it is clear that Northern Ballet are really at the top of their game at the moment, and more than ready to be taken out of their comfort zone.
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