NO-one is ever going to see an adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 hoping for a ‘feel good’ night out, but Robert Icke and Duncan MacMillan’s recent adaptation of the dystopian classic is certainly a must-see for fans of great literature, and, in this case, great theatre.

The all-pervading atmosphere of unease is evident from start to finish as the author’s vision of a totalitarian dystopia is played out, with the superstate’s overriding tenets of omnipresent government surveillance and public manipulation made clear for all to see. Nothing is private; every action is noted, every move is a potential pitfall, every thought is a crime. As intended, it’s all very disturbing.

Designer Chloe Lamford’s stark set, particularly in the latter section, is outstanding; and the clever use of strobe lights, micro-cameras and video screens helped to punctuate scenes and create confusion between reality and memory slips. I did, however, find the early inclusion of a reading group’s discussion of the book from a 21st century viewpoint somewhat distracting; a production this slick could easily have managed without the clutter.

It’s no coincidence that this production is precisely 101 minutes long - the notion clearly stemming from the gruesome Room 101, where Winston is ‘cured’ of his loathing towards the Big Brother state. And this is where it all gets a bit gruelling. Many around me looked away at what some might call the ‘gratuitous’ violence, but there is no denying the impact of battery clamps, men in gas masks and freshly spilt blood on the floor of a stark white room as Winston Smith’s rebellion is crushed.

Every single member of the cast is outstanding, but special mentions must go to Matthew Spencer as Winston and Janine Harouni as Julia, whilst Tim Dutton makes a spectacularly menacing O’Brien. However, I couldn’t take my eyes off Christopher Patrick Nolan who plays the all-seeing, all-hearing Martin. If ever an actor embodied all that is Big Brother, it is he.

This is not a new show, having opened at the Nottingham Playhouse in 2013, but it is a great show, and it deserves to run and run. It is a harrowing, yet ultimately worthwhile, interpretation of a modern classic which remains relevant today in so many ways.

It won’t be the most fun you’ve ever had on a night out, but it’s certainly a gripping vision of a tyrannical society that still might be just around the corner. Best get your tickets in case someone’s watching… 1984 by George Orwell, adapted by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan, is on at the Theatre Royal, Bath, until Saturday, October 3.