1984 | Birmingham Rep

Young Rep Seniors present a tense, unsettling and strikingly contemporary staging of George Orwell’s dystopian classic, adapted for stage by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan.

Winston Smith is an ordinary man trapped in an extraordinary nightmare. He must fight to stay human under a regime that rewrites reality, watches every move and crushes even the smallest flicker of independent thought.

In this world, truth is fragile. Fear is weaponised. Rebellion is dangerous – and sometimes, heartbreakingly, impossible.

This is 1984 reimagined for our current moment: immediate, gripping and uncomfortably impossible to ignore.

Find out more about the rep rising 2026 festival

Venue

Presented by

Young Rep Seniors

Based on the book by

George Orwell

Adapted by

Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan

Directed by

Laura Dredger

Price

From £14.50
Ticket prices above £13 include a £1 restoration levy (excludes schools’ tickets)

A transaction fee of £3.50 applies on all payment types.

Festival Multi-Buy Offer

Book 3 or more Rep Rising festival events and save 33% off your booking. Offer will apply automatically in basket.

Special Offers

Aged 16 to 25 Discounted tickets are available for this production for registered 16-25 members for performances on Tue 7 Apr and Tue 14 Apr. T&Cs apply – Find Out More

Access Performances

Both performances are captioned.

Running Time

Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including an interval.

Age Guidance

12+

Please note, no under 5s will be admitted into the auditorium.

Content Advice

Please note this production contains themes of death and violence, including references to and descriptions of torture. It will also feature gunshot and loud explosion sound effects.

About Young Rep Seniors

Young Rep Seniors is our celebrated youth theatre company for young people aged 14–18. Young Rep groups meet weekly at The Rep to create high quality performances working with professional theatre-makers. We provide our members with opportunities to develop their performance skills, learn how an exciting producing theatre works, and grow in confidence.

Young Rep aims to nurture and inspire the next generation of theatre-makers through staging new work, devising original pieces of theatre and performing established texts. Young Rep is an inclusive environment that welcomes children and young people from all backgrounds.

Rehearsal Trailer

Photos from Home & Horizons Festival 2025

1 /

Jekyll and Hyde — Photography by Geraint Lewis.

Three actors in blue period costumes perform on stage, conveying a dramatic scene. One actor is seated on the floor, looking up at the others. — Photography by Geraint Lewis.

These photographs are taken from Young Rep Seniors’ performance of Jekyll and Hyde, part of the 2025 Home & Horizons Festival.

Cast

Kiran	Winston
Summer	Julia
Oliver	O’Brien
Sonia	Reynard
Amani	Host 1
Edgar	Host 2
Antonio	Host 3
Amelie	Host 4
Himmat	Host 5
Spike	Host 6
Lancelot	Man
Ishvir	Mother
Theophilus	Father
Sasha	Child & Parsons Child
Brayden	Martin
Dylan	Syme
Ismaeel	Sinclair
Izzy	Mrs Parsons
Josiah	Parsons
Macca	Charrington
Faith	Woman 1
Thora	Woman 2
Ashira	Woman 3
Jack	Telescreen
Rosie	Speakwrite
Pascal	Thoughtcriminal
Yasmin	Goldstein
Nicholas	Thought Police
Narvie	YW Young Winston
Leah	Waitress
Molly	Winston’s Mother
Elijah	Animal Handler
Anya	Mother 2

Creative Team

Presented by	Young Rep Seniors
Based on the novel by	George Orwell
Adapted by	Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan
Directed by	Laura Dredger
Assistant Direction by	Lia Walker