Lead Producer & Created by Sofia Barysevich
Written by Karina Wiedman
Directed by Tanya Polosina
Review by Eve Nugent
When you walk into the main stage at Summerhall, Big Brother is already watching you – a blinking eye, projected ominously on the stage’s backdrop, creates an immediate sense of unease. Julia.1984, echoing Sandra Newman’s recent novel adaptation, dares to ask one of dystopian literature’s greatest questions: what happened to Julia? Returning from their 5-star debut show 1984 at last year’s Fringe, Slavic-led theatre company withintheatre delivers a masterful response in this creative reimagining of Orwell’s classic, told through a fresh, feminist lens.
We find Julia, performed with compelling emotional complexity by Sofia Barysevich, after her release from torture in the Ministry of Love, thrust back into a society still corrupted by surveillance and cruelty. Almost immediately, she discovers it was her own sister Emma – a devout Party loyalist played with great charisma by Anastasia Velique – who turned her in.
Julia subsequently seeks vengeance, returning to the Ministry in hope of spreading poison from the inside out, yet she becomes intertwined in a dangerous web of lies and deceit. The infamous O’Brian is perfectly brought to life by Michael Tcherepashenets with both charm and grit, meanwhile Faiaz Valiullin’s Winston offers a harrowing contrast – stripped of mental agency, he embodies the terrifying notion that an authority can reshape our thoughts and minds.
The show takes a creative multimedia approach, combining physical sequences, textured dialogue, direct address, audience interaction, and visceral monologues – these diverse elements help to immerse the viewer in Julia’s world, sharing in her pain and impotency under a regime ruled by control and fear.
Overall, instead of simply reframing the work of Orwell, writer Karina Weidman and Director Tania Polosina challenge us to consider the unheard voices behind every revolution, particularly those of the women who are so often silenced. The palpable theme of resistance pulses throughout the performance, incredibly poignant within our current global reality.
Incredibly Poignant
Julia 1984 runs at Summerhall – Main Hall
Running time: Sixty minutes without interval
Photo credit: Aline Saffron
Review by Eve Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Her primary devotion is acting, predominantly at Bedlam Theatre with her fellow students, but also with French group ‘Les Escogriffes’ who perform annually at the French Institute of Scotland.
Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she enjoys playing the flute, piano and guitar. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
