FADS 1984 performance

Ferring Amateur Dramatic Society has produced a first-class version of George Orwell's famous satire on authoritarianism, 1984

Big Brother can do no wrong and the past is manipulated to justify whatever his current policy is. Does this sound familiar?

Niall Conlan is excellent in the main role of Winston Smith. Winston is one of those charged wih distorting history to fit in with the Party's changing views.

He commits the thoughtcrime of remembering the past and of falling in love. He falls in love with Julia (played by Sophie Mason Griffiths who is in turn played by Natalie Atherton in a reconstruction of Winston's crime)

Pervading the story is the doublethink of newspeak. Language is restricted with the idea that it becomes impossible to disagree with the party.

This is an excellent interpretation of the story. It is doubleplus good.

Perhaps they could have used pictures of Donald Trump instead of Joseph Stalin to make autocracy more relevant to the 2024 audience! 

Anthem for Doomed Youth

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.

Wilfred Owen

It is as well to remember when kings and politicians glorify war that they are not the ones who pay the price.

Socialist Rally

Socialist Rally

https://www.youtube.com/live/XijH5oxKCwI

The rally will be live-streamed which is great for people who are old or ill or just plain hard-up. You too can take part. As can I.

Kamala

Kamala Harris has struggled to escape the trap of Bidenism. Asking Israel very politely to stop killing women and children while arming the murderers to the teeth is hypocrisy.