A Clockwork Orange (New World Stages) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (241)
See it if if you liked the movie, I do not think you will like this adaptation, it missed the mark, very slow, not what the movie was like.
Don't see it if very slow not like the movie, not even close to the movie. I should have had an adaption that resembled the edginess of the movie.
See it if you want to see an intense, fast-paced, imaginative, highly stylized, well-choreographed staging of Burgess' groundbreaking dystopian novel.
Don't see it if you'll be disturbed by the violence & harsh language of the British gangs and the disturbing treatment of the protagonist by the authorities
See it if you like the novel and curious about its staging, enjoy athletic dancing with homoerotic overtones, like bright lighting & loud music
Don't see it if don't like shows like Tap Dogs even with more plot, loud noisy music & dancing, difficult to follow if unfamiliar with source, bright lights Read more
See it if you're curious about how the book or film translates to the stage. Impressive dance/movement, precise, athletic, homoerotic.
Don't see it if you expect the power & incisiveness of either the novel or the film. The emphasis on dance/movement vitiates that.
See it if you’d enjoy excellent performances, and the play’s relevance to today’s loss of societal humanity and the search to regain it.
Don't see it if you would be upset by the pointless cruelty of the characters, or you need a lovable protagonist. Every character here is deeply troubled.
See it if you know & like the story or if you like shows which use dramatic and unusual ways to communicate the story line.
Don't see it if you do not like the story, if loud music bothers you or if you do not particularly like innovative approaches which may not be successful
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 looking to have a theatrical experience like NONE other.
Don't see it if you are NOT FAMILIAR with the movie nor book because you will be totally LOST!!! Read more
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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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