Reader Orwell Musical

ONE GEORGIE ORWELL LONDON MUSICAL

"One Georgie Orwell"
is a unique cabaret-style evening
bringing together a collection of Orwell's own words
from books and essays --
a spiky narration and a line-up of original songs.

Hope you're well. Here's the flyer to our "One Georgie Orwell" show at Greenwich Theatre, London, from April 26-29, 2012 (Thursday to Sunday).

Thought you might also like to see the lyrics for '1984' -- the last song in the show:

1984

It was there at St Cyprians
And he saw it in the public schools
And he saw it in the eyes of people
Where the British Empire ruled

He saw it and he learned it
Like two and two make four
He saw it and saved it…
For 1984

Chorus:
And it was there, in the towns up north
And it was there, in the East End slums
And he saw it there, on the country roads
That he walked along, with the tramps and the hobos

He saw it and he learned it
Like two and two make four
He saw it and he saved it…
For 1984

It was there in the Spanish war
And he saw it in the miners’ eyes
He saw it in the poorest
And he saw through Stalin's lies

He saw it and learned it
Like two and two make four
He saw it and saved it…
For 1984

Chorus:
And it was there, in the towns up north
And it was there, in the East End slums
And he saw it there, on the country roads
That he walked along, with the tramps and the hobos

He saw it and he learned it
Like two and two make four
He saw it and he saved it
For 1984

Spoken:
Be sad but don't be cynical
You get too good at that with practice
He wrote that final book I'm sure
For dignity and justice

I'm inspired to send the lyrics after reading your bit about Orwell writing 1984 "for us". I totally agree and hope that the song (and the show) helps to increase the awareness of this wonderful man (especially among the young).

I'm very lucky to have had a fantastic musician, Carl Picton, working on the lyrics. It's true to say he had to work very hard on the first few songs but maybe by '1984' it was getting a little easier as I was learning so much from him about how to write the words, particularly the syllables!

Thanks for sending news about ONE GEORGIE ORWELL hitting Broadway (well, Greenwich) in April 2012 -- I'll share with ORWELL TODAY readers and hopefully many will make it there.

It never ceases to amaze me that your Georgie Orwell play is playing just up the street from the house at 24 Crooms Hill where Georgie Orwell himself lived off and on for periods of time -- it being the home of his brother-in-law.

The close proximity of the Greenwich theatre to Orwell's Greenwich home adds another dimension -- and a further incentive -- to experience ONE GEORGIE ORWELL on stage there.

Thanks for sending the lyrics to "1984" -- a good note to end on -- and good poetry too!

Thank you very much for that. I hope it reaches some people who might otherwise have not known about it.