shake & stir Opens 1984 Adaptation in Queensland, Now thru Sept 1

The multi-award winning team of shake & stir theatre co are back at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from tonight, 16 August to 1 September in the Cremorne Theatre with an adaption of George Orwell's classic novel 1984.

This stage adaption of 1984, an Australian first, stars two of Queensland's most respected actors Bryan Probets (Animal Farm, As You Like It, Pygmalion) and Hugh Parker (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fractions, Julius Caesar, Betrayal). The two bring a wealth of experience to the production and, surprisingly, will tread the boards together for the first time.

Parker and Probets are joined on stage by all three of shake & stir's Artistic Directors, Ross Balbuziente, Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij, all of whom will be under the direction of Matilda Award winning Director Michael Futcher.

shake & stir's 2011 production of Animal Farm has collected over 15 theatre awards including Best Independent Production and Best Direction at the 2011 Matilda Awards and named Best Play of 2011 by The Courier-Mail.

When it came to selecting their QPAC production for 2012, 1984 was considered a no-brainer for the shake & stir Artistic Directors Ross Balbuziente, Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij.

"Following the success of Animal Farm last year, we wanted to program a show in 2012 that would be just as visceral, thought provoking and appealing to audiences of all ages and this is it!" said Balbuziente.

Co-Artistic Director, Nick Skubij states that 1984 is a step in the right direction for the company.

"shake & stir is growing up and this production marks the start of an exciting new direction for the company. 1984 will be a giant leap forward in terms of the scale and scope of the work we present in theatres.

"Orwell wrote the book in 1948 as a prediction of our future and 64 years on the themes resonate deeply. The parallels between what Orwell explored and what we are experiencing in the 21st century is frighteningly accurate.

"It's our aim to keep the story as dark, twisted and grotesque as it can be, it's Big Brother meets Saw 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, we are blurring the lines between reality and horror" Skubij adds.

1984 is set in Oceania; a Nation perpetually at war, where cameras watch every move and Thought Police patrol the streets in search of traitors. A place Winston Smith calls home.

By day, Winston is an editor at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history to align the past with the radical political agenda of the ruling party and its illusive leader, Big Brother. By night, Winston pursues a forbidden love affair with the mysterious Julia in an attempt to rebel against the oppressive regime set down by the party and maintain some control over his otherwise totally controlled life. When Winston and Julia are discovered, they are violently separated, detained and prepared for conversion.

Performances run tonight, 16 August to 1 September 2012 at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, Cultural Centre, South Bank, Brisbane. Tickets are Adults $46 / Concession $42 / Youth $30 from qpac.com.au or 136 246.