A Clockwork Orange (New World Stages) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (239)
See it if Absolutely loved this play.
Don't see it if not for the faint of heart
See it if If you are a fan of the book, like strong performances & physicality
Don't see it if You don't like violence on stage.
See it if you like a twist on a movie you remember from youth and want to see some young men in various states of undress
Don't see it if you don't like loud aggressive music and scenes, was concerned for some of the blue hairs in the group
See it if you are familiar with the book, or at least the movie, and would like to see a highly stylized, high octane, intense version.
Don't see it if you have not done your reading assignment. Without understanding of the original work, it is hard to follow the story and social relevance. Read more
See it if you are a fan of the novel and the story, enjoying new takes on classic stories. Very innovative in its staging and writing and choreography
Don't see it if you don't like hinted violence or gay undertones. If you don't know the original story, the ensemble casting might also be a bit confusing.
See it if You're a fan of theatre that pushes the envelope, you don't mind looking at sexy mean
Don't see it if You're have a weak stomach, you have gender hang ups
See it if Sexy Shakesperean and intense just the way clockwork should be. Jonno Davies is a new star. Go see it
Don't see it if Mature themes and edgy material bothers you
See it if You want to be fully indulged in a great story that makes you think. Beautiful staging, choreography and movement. Jonno Davis is incredible
Don't see it if Homophobia turns you off. Cannot handle one act plays with a lot of story all at once.
Critic Reviews (48)
"Vigorously acted and bluntly entertaining...I’d like to think that the steroidal bodies and all-purpose sexiness are intended as a deliberate distraction, a gotcha embellishment meant to implicate the audience for failing to reckon with the full horror of Alex’s actions. But Ms. Spencer-Jones doesn’t deliver on such high-minded intentions. The violence never lets up, but as it’s set to synth-heavy Beethoven riffs, it also never lands."
Read more
"For those who do not hanker for Chippendales studs doing dance-rapes—quick, can we have a moratorium on dance-rapes?—this 'Orange' is rancid and confused, another sad example of an adaptation missing the point of its source material...Spencer-Jones' attempt at a super-dark, sexy-wexy production is about as frightening as an Abercrombie & Fitch ad, with a similar quantity of hard posing...Look away, or risk being turned off of theater forever."
Read more
"Spencer-Jones has envisioned an athletic, highly choreographed world...The result is to render all this violence shockingly un-shocking...There’s something overly sleek, almost glib about the choreography...The gloss and presentational tone turn the story’s danger intellectual rather than visceral...The play owes a present-day audience a bit more than some rock-and-roll choreography and a fallback on 'freedom of choice' as the issue at the heart of the piece."
Read more
"The production is like a dad bod. Stylish, sure. Intimidating, not so much. And it should be....At its best, Alexandra Spencer-Jones’ all-male vision has energy to burn as it plays out on a spare black stage to a loud, nearly wall-to-wall score of original music and pop covers. But so much emphasis on choreographed movement backfires as it gets repetitive and muddies storytelling. Even violent acts, like one with a broken bottle, emerge like something out of Looney Tunes."
Read more
"For those not familiar with the book or film, this production will often prove incomprehensible...It relates the story in broad, abstract strokes, relying so much on stylized choreographed movement that it often resembles modern dance. The result is that the brutal violence...doesn't have much visceral impact...The sheer energy of the performers as they go through their strenuous paces must be admired."
Read more
"Crackles with kinetic energy, punctuated by precise choreographed sequences...The ultraviolence depicted on stage is stylized and set to fun music...The violence here is artfully composed and provides ample shock-horror, but without any emotional weight...This is a play that will raise your heart rate, but it left me uncertain whether it was celebrating or criticizing the testosterone-frenzy it depicts. As a satire, I’m not entirely sure it succeeded, but it gave me plenty to talk about."
Read more
"Makes a powerful statement, though it falls just short of a knockout...Director Alexandra Spencer-Jones created a language of savagery in this stripped-down, stylized production that's as engrossing as it is disturbing...But after the initial shock of brutality, the rest of the play fails to produce the same heightened impact. And while the message is clear, the work lacks the emotional punch in the gut that Burgess intended."
Read more
"For 90 fast-paced minutes, this sexy, heart-pounding production never fails to entertain...With nine actors playing three dozen characters, Spencer-Jones directs the play with just enough detail to capture the story's big ideas. Provocative as those ideas are, however, the story often takes a back seat to other elements of the production, such as the chiseled, bare-chested actors...The highly stylized choreography tamps down the viciousness. But that's not a bad thing."
Read more