National Theatre: 1984 dub // Egersund Culture House

«Thought crime,» «Big Brother is watching you,» «Cold War,» and «2+2=5.» The terms originate from George Orwell, the author of classics like Animal Farm and 1984. In the turbulent 1930s and 40s, the British author became intensely concerned with exposing totalitarian systems and protecting the individual amidst a flood of political rhetoric and mass movements from the far left to the far right.

Where, and do they really exist, truth and freedom when ideological struggle takes over everything? Are we humans willing to do anything to gain or hold on to power – from falsifying our own history to reporting or canceling those closest to us?

From another troubled time, namely our own, director and playwright Tore Vagn Lid meets Orwell in a new musical performance that continues his captivating and dangerous universe. Starting from the love story at the heart of the novel 1984, Vagn Lid moves through Orwell's writings and out into our own times.

Here, it is no longer equally the «Party» and «Big Brother» that are responsible for surveillance. In the age of algorithms and artificial intelligence, surveillance can be more about the art of monitoring oneself.

On stage you will meet Trond Espen Seim, Jonas Strand Gravli, Maria Omarsdottir Austgulen, Torbjørn Berglund Eriksen, Hanna-Maria Grønneberg and Eirik Fosstveit.

On stage
Trond Espen Seim, Torbjørn Berglund Eriksen, Hanna-Maria Grønneberg, Maria Omarsdottir Austgulen, Jonas Strand Gravli and Eirik Hellerdal Fosstveit

The team
Playwright and Director: Tore Vagn Lid. Set Designer: Kyrre Bjørkås. Lighting Designer: Martin Myrvold. Costume Designer: Charlotte Høyem Osburg. Sound Designer: Glenn Erik Haugland. Graphics, Modeling: Julia Jayko Fossland. Producer: Silje Vigerust Vinjar

By Tore Vagn Lid, loosely based on George Orwell.

Performance length: 2 hours 20 minutes (including intermission).