1984

When love is forbidden, every touch becomes an act of rebellion. In "1984", the struggle to think and love freely is deadly - a brutal love story in a world where truth is taboo and thoughts are controlled.

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he erases and rewrites history to match the Party's version of reality. Big Brother and the Thought Police crush every attempt at free thought. In Julia, Winston finds both truth and love - but their attempt to live outside the system has devastating consequences.

The opera is based on George Orwell's 1949 novel and composed by Lorin Maazel. It premiered at Covent Garden in 2005. Gothenburg Opera's production comes from Theater Regensburg, which was named Theatre of the Year in Germany in 2025.