The electrifying theatrical experience of ‘1984’ is back – more terrifyingly relevant than ever.
Shake & Stir Theatre Co will present George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, set to play in around the country, as part of a major national tour.
The story unfolds in a world where surveillance is omnipresent, truth is rewritten, and resistance is perilous. George Orwell wrote this chilling vision of the future in 1948. . . And its themes remain disturbingly prescient today.
“The parallels between Orwell’s world and our own are striking—not just in politics, but across all aspects of modern life,” Shake & Stir Theatre Co Co-Artistic Director/Co-Adaptor says. “His exploration of fear and control is something we were eager to bring to the stage in a way that truly grips audiences.”
While this version of ‘1984’ certainly utilises its eerie foresight, it also pushes the boundaries of theatrical horror.
“We wanted to stay faithful to the novel’s themes whilst honouring their inherent terror – think ‘Big Brother’ meets the essence of ‘Saw X’,” Skubij teases. “This is a world where reality and nightmare blur – and no one can be trusted.”
The Thought Police lurk in the shadows, and the war is never-ending. In Oceania, ‘1984’ follows Winston Smith, an editor at the Ministry Of Truth tasked with rewriting history to fir the ruling Party’s ever-changing narrative.
Drunk under a delusional of privacy, Winston chooses to defy Big Brother. . . Setting off a chain of events leading to a brutal, harrowing end.
Shake & Stir drag ‘1984’, kicking and screaming, into the present.
“After the overwhelming response to last year’s ‘Frankenstein’ national tour, we’re thrilled to deliver another production that’s visceral, thought-provoking, and impossible to look away from,” Nick Skubij says.
‘1984’ Australia 2025 Tour Dates
15-17 May – Glen Street Theatre (Sydney)23 May – Orange Civic Theatre
27 May – Cessnock Performing Arts Centre
30 May – Newcastle Civic Theatre
3 June – Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
5-7 June – Canberra Theatre Centre
10-11 June – Laycock Street Theatre (Gosford)
13 June – Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre (Penrith)
17 June – Wollondilly Performing Arts Centre (Picton)
20 June – Riverlinks (Shepparton)
26-28 June – Adelaide Festival Centre
1-6 July – Comedy Theatre (Melbourne)
23-26 July – Riverside Theatres (Parramatta)
1 August – Goulburn Performing Arts Centre
4-5 August – Griffith Regional Theatre
6-7 August – Mildura Arts Centre
9 August – Lighthouse Theatre (Warrnambool)
13 August – Her Majesty’s Theatre (Ballarat)
16 August – Berninneit (Cowes)
20 August – The Wedge Performing Arts Centre (Sale)
22 August – Ulumbarra Theatre (Bendigo)
25-26 August – The Round (Nunawading)
29 August – Paranaple Arts Centre (Devonport)
3 September – Frankston Arts Centre
13 September – Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (Perth)
15 October – Pilbeam Theatre (Rockhampton)
24 October – Events Centre Caloundra
31 October – Redland Performing Arts Centre
