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1984 LIVE
Arts & Culture - The Orwell Foundation
1984 LIVE
Over 50 leading cultural figures read sections of the book alongside members of the public to create the UK’s first ever live reading, on the site of the inspiration for the Ministry of Truth – Senate House. The reading was offered as an act of subversion in itself, an included immersive staged elements, submerging audiences in the world of Big Brother, IngSoc and The Party. Using projection and actors from UCL, the audience were able to absorb the intrigue and horror of 1984.
The reading was directed by Hannah Price and produced by Libby Brodie Productions.
1984 Live was part of the UCL Festival of Culture 2017 a week-long festival, comprising talks, workshops and exhibitions, set to challenge your thinking and offer new ways of understanding our world.
Libraries and Theatres across the country screened the reading and organised satellite events and activities – see below for more information.
Readers
In order of appearance, the Readers of 1984 Live were:
Part 1, Chapter 1
Richard Blair
George Orwell’s adopted son
Archie Blair
George Orwell’s great-grandson
Gavin Blair
George Orwell’s grandson
Bill Hamilton
Literary Agent. Executor of the Orwell Estate
Harry Mount
Journalist and Editor, The Oldie.
Part 1, Chapter 2
Nicci Gerrard
Writer. Winner of The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils 2016.
Hugh Levinson
Editor, BBC Radio Current Affairs.
Part 1, Chapter 3
Lord Ken Macdonald QC
Lord Macdonald QC, Chair of The Orwell Foundation and Liberal Democrat Member of the House of Lords.
Michela Wrong
Journalist, Author and former Foreign Correspondent.
Part 1, Chapter 5
Quentin Kopp
Son of Georges Kopp, Orwell’s commander in the POUM.
Helen Pearson
Editor, Nature journal. Author of The Life Project (2016), longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Books 2017.
Arifa Akbar
Journalist and Literary Critic. Curator of M-Fest: A Muslim Festival of Books and Ideas. Deputy Editor of Wasafiri Magazine.
Catherine O’Shaughnessy
George Orwell’s niece.
Peter Ross
Award-Winning Journalist, shortlisted for The Orwell Prize 2015.
Kathy Harvey
Deputy Director, the Orwell Foundation
Liam Wantenaar
Member of the Public
Part 1, Chapter 6
Caroline Criado Perez
Writer, broadcaster and award-winning feminist campaigner. Author of Do it Like a Woman (2015).
Part 1, Chapter 7
Rebecca O’Brien
Producer, most recently “I, Daniel Blake”
Isabel Ogilvie-Smith
Member of the Public
Fatima Al Rayes
Member of the Public
Part 1, Chapter 8
Paul Lay
Editor, History Today.
Peter Hitchens
Journalist, Columnist at the Mail on Sunday. Winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2010.
Gary Younge
Writer and Journalist. Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Books 2017.
Hector Parsons
Member of the Public
Lucie Benaiteau
Member of the Public
Part 2, Chapter 1
Anna Wharton
Journalist and Writer, most recently co-author of Cut (2016). Longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Books 2017.
Fiammetta Rocco
Editor of Books and Arts, the Economist
Professor Anthony Julius
Solicitor and academic best known for actions on behalf of Princess Diana, Deborah Lipstadt and Heather Mills.
Part 2, Chapter 2
Frances Barber
Award winning theatre actor. Credits include: “Silk”, “Dr Who” & “Antony & Cleopatra”.
Professor Simon Schama
Historian, University Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University.
Part 2, Chapter 3
Dr Martin Moore
Director, Centre for the Study of Media, Culture and Power, King’s College London.
Hibo Wardere
Somalian-born campaigner against female genital mutilation (FGM). Author of Cut (2016). Longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Books 2017
Part 2, Chapter 4
Gideon Rachman
Chief Foreign Affairs Columnist, Financial Times. Winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2016.
Billy Bragg
Singer-Songwriter and activist. Albums include Talking With the Taxman About Poetry, and Shine a Light with Joe Henry.
Part 2, Chapter 5
D.J. Taylor
Critic, Novelist and Biographer. Author of Orwell (2003) award-winning biography of George Orwell.
Rick Edwards
Television Presenter and author of None of the Above (2015).
Part 2, Chapter 6
Gillian Furlong
Head of Special Collections and Archivist in UCL Library Services
Part 2, Chapter 7
Ruth Dudley-Edwards
Crime fiction writer, Biographer and Historian. Shortlisted for The Orwell Prize for Books 2017.
Mark Adair
Head of Corporate and Community Affairs, BBC Northern Ireland.
Part 2, Chapter 8
John Seaward
Actor. Recent credits include “The Inbetweeners Movie” and “The Philanthropist”.
Ros Wynne Jones
Journalist, creator of The Road to Wigan Pier Project, Daily Mirror. Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils 2017.
Guy Pewsey
Journalist, London Evening Standard.
Part 2, Chapter 9
Baroness Patience Wheatcroft
Journalist and Conservative Member of the House of Lords. Former Editor-in-Chief of the Wall Street Journal Europe.
David Olusoga
British-Nigerian Writer, Broadcaster and Historian. Author of Black and British, longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Books.
Professor Maya Jasanoff
Coolidge Professor of History at Harvard Univeristy.
Professor John Bew
Professor in History and Foreign Policy at King’s College London. Shortlisted for The Orwell Prize for Books 2017.
Taniya Welmillage
Member of the Public
Ece Temelkuran
Turkish Journalist and Author. Fired as a columnist from Habertürk after writing articles critical of the government.
Hugh Montgomery
Head of Culture, the Daily Telegraph.
Lord Melvyn Bragg
Broadcaster, author and member of the House of Lords, best known for the BBC Radio 4 Programme In Our Time.
Ken Loach
Award-Winning Television and Film Director, most recently I, Daniel Blake.
Part 2, Chapter 10
Nick Cohen
Journalist. Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2017.
Matthew Norman
Writer, Political Commentator and Journalist. Media diarist for The Independent.
Part 3, Chapter 1
Jack Monroe
Writer, Journalist and Activist.
Professor Stella Bruzzi
Dean of Arts and Humanities at UCL.
Mark Ravenhill
Playwright whose work has been produced by the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Court Theatre. He lost his virginity in 1984.
Part 3, Chapter 2
Alan Johnson
Former MP for Hull West and Hessle, former Home Secretary and winner of The Orwell Prize for Books 2014.
Dame Harriet Walter
Actor. Most recent work : Boa, Brutus, King Henry and Prospero in the Donmar all-female Shakespeare Trilogy. Recent films include “The Sense of an Ending”. Author of Brutus and Other Heroines.
Guy Paul
Actor. Recent credits include: “Boa”, “Death of a Salesman” and on film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”.
Part 3, Chapter 3
Salena Godden
Poet, performer and author. Contributor to The Good Immigrant (2016).
Jennifer Lim
Actor and filmmaker. Founding member of British East Asian Artists.
Daniel York Loh
Actor and writer. One of 21 featured essayists in the award-winning The Good Immigrant (2016).
Part 3, Chapter 4
Professor Jean Seaton
Director, The Orwell Foundation
Phyllida Lloyd
Director best known for work in theatre and as the director of Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady
Part 3, Chapter 5
Neal Ascherson
Scottish journalist and writer. Visiting Professor of Archaeology at UCL.
Samantha Michelle
Canadian actress, filmmaker and DJ with a love for classic literature, soul music, love itself and understanding
Bonnie Greer
American-British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster. Book judge for The Orwell Prize for Books 2017.
Creatives and Crew
Director: Hannah Price
Hannah Price is Co-Artistic Director and Founder of Theatre Uncut, the winner of two Fringe First awards, a Heralds Angel award and the Spirit of the Fringe Award. She was Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse and was recently Associate Director to John Malkovich on Good Canary.
Producer: Libby Brodie
Libby Brodie Productions has most recently produced the European premiere of Waiting For Waiting For Godot (St James Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (UK Tour) and the world premiere of Run The Beast Down (Marlowe Theatre, Finborough Theatre) and currently, The Philanthropist (Trafalgar Studios).
Lighting Designer: Robbie Butler
Robbie has twice been nominated for an off west end award for best lighting design and in 2015 was the winner of the ETC award from the association of lighting designers. More information can be found at www.robbiebutlerdesigns.com
Sound Designer: Philip Matejtschuk
Philip Matejtschuk is a twice-Offie nominated London-based sound designer and composer, whose most recent work includes Brimstone & Treacle (Hope Theatre), Jekyll & Hyde (Pleasance London), Tom Molineaux (Jack Studio Theatre), and Adding Machine (Finborough Theatre). Philip is also Head of Sound at Italia Conti.
