BBC Radio 4, 18 February 2013
The fourth in a series of biographical dramas based on Orwell's life
saw Orwell seeing out the remainder of his short life on the isle of Jura and trying to cope with rampant tuberculosis - the
disease that eventually killed him. There were some interesting revelations on the way: we discovered that everything
that happened in Nineteen Eighty-Four was based on incidents in Orwell's life, including his encounters with BBC
mandarins and a never-to-be-forgotten ordeal in a small room in Broadcasting House when he was interrogated by several
people while suffering from bronchitis.
What emerged most tangibly from this final instalment in the Orwell saga was the
author's complex nature. As portrayed by Joseph Millson, he came across as an anti-establishment figure who had grown
up in the establishment, a stern critic of privilege, even though he led a privileged life, and a lover of privacy who had
an insatiable appetite for women. After the death of his wife Eileen, he had tried to make a go of his life on Jura,
with the added responsibility of looking after his son Ricky (James Foster). However the pressure grew too much for
him and he came to rely more and more on Sonia (Stephanie Racine) - who later became the second Mrs. Blair - and
his sister Avril (Liza Sadovy).
Nonetheless, Jeremy Mortimer's production emphasized Orwell's strength of character;
even on his death-bed he was determined to finish Nineteen Eighty-Four, as well as present a positive image of himself
for posterity. I only caught two of this four-part series, but what I heard gave a comprehensive portrait of the man.
Congratulations to Radio 4 for commissioning it.
