Orwellian: starring Larry Cedar

It's up at Theatre of Note, which is a big space, but he fills it with Orwell's words flawlessly. I saw it at midnight, and as exhausted as I was, it was absolutely worth it, and I would have been fine staying all night. This is everything a one person show should be. Brilliant acting, beautiful language, a story to tell, and nothing standing between the performer and the audience.... full review

The always wonderful Larry Cedar gives a brilliant performance in tribute of a captivating and strikingly relevant author. While touching on a variety of Orwell's works (even introducing this Orwell fan to a memoir I hadn't previously been familiar with), he focuses largely on 1984, bringing characters to life from the page in a way that is sublimely characteristic of Cedar's other work: with a passionate, dynamic approach full of authenticity, insight, and humanity. Not to be missed!... full review

As I sat in the theatre before the Orwellian began, I was silently berating myself for not having done research into Orwell before arriving. But I wasted my time worrying. The play was quick-paced, but clear, and easy to stay engaged with. The story-telling in every piece kept me enraptured, and often quite literally at the edge of my seat. Being transported to the world of "Down & Out in Paris & London," (which was the one piece of which I had no tangential knowledge upon entering) so delighted me that it made me want to read it. And then, comforted by the early comedy, the harsher dystopias of the latter pieces ravaged my soul all the more. I especially loved 1984, which was beautifully crushing and tragically prescient in light of what we... full review

Larry Cedar is a wonderful actor. We're familiar with his work on film, TV, and stage, but this piece is more than entertainment. In excellent characterizations and the first English accents I've heard an American actor do flawlessly, Cedar deftly guides us down the dark, sometimes humorous, often harrowing paths of George Orwell's brilliant anti-authoritarian writings. It's the first time in a while that I've been adequately reminded of the dark infantilism and mindless brutal authoritarianism with which we coexist in our world today. We see flashes of it in still-alive American Puritanism, Arab Theocracies, so-called Communist governments, and fundamentalist movements of all stripes braying at us from dark corners of today's world. With wo... full review

You can't do better than the words of Orwell... unless they're performed for you by as gifted a storyteller as Larry Cedar. I was captivated. What really struck me was the specificity of each and every moment - the creation of the Orwellian world and the various down and out characters that inhabit it. I encourage anyone who is a fan of literature - or really anyone who's a fan of life and art - to go and check this out.... full review

Cedar’s formidable characterization and storytelling are best served when freed from the restrictive prose of Orwell’s political satires. I would have been completely happy, and no less aware of the message on human dignity, to spend the entire hour – and quite possibly more – watching him perform from just Orwell’s more intimate and personal memoir. Full review at Bitter Lemons: http://losangeles.bitter-lemons.com/2013/06/16/fringe-review-orwellian/... full review

Excellent use of the stage, pacing is superb, and the characters clear. The lighting is minimalist and perfectly effective. Cue timing is tight, and as a whole the entire piece is as wonderfully seamless as its subject matter is disturbing. Mr. Cedar is so precise in his language and his connection to the audience he has no trouble grabbing your attention and keeping it focused exactly where he wants it. You don't need to know a great deal about the works of Orwell to see how relevant his concerns were in this day and age. A great one man show that leaves you wondering just where the world might be headed.... full review

Engaging throughout. Even though I had familiarity with the material, Larry Cedar's performance kept me on the edge of my chair giving the story even greater emotional resonance. The hour performance was too short. ... full review

Larry Cedar was amazing from start to finish.... full review

Mesmerizing. Larry Cedar's transformations from one character to another were seamless. Amazing use of language and simple but effective staging, made the characters and situations, come to life. Orwell's words artistically handled, by a wonderful actor. Thanks for an enthralling evening of theatre.... full review