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Ask a stranger on the street if they’ve heard of Eric Arthur Blair and there’s a strong chance their answer will be a resounding no. Yet the Eton educated, upper-class, India-born Blair was fated to become arguably the most prominent writer of the twentieth century: George Orwell.

One of the best things about Down & Out in Paris and London is the way in which our two city settings are so brilliantly evoked. Toynbee’s twenty-first century London is shrouded in stark, blue tinged lighting and features cold, apathetic characters. Orwell’s Paris is dynamic, fast-paced and sun tinged – yet also featuring destitute characters who dream of prison just to get a bed and food. This is created most brilliantly with scene set in a frantic restaurant kitchen, where flickering lighting, high-energy ensemble physicality and an abundance of shouting evoke perfectly the pressure of this environment.

On its own, Down & Out in Paris and London is Orwell’s vivid pre-success memoir. However, David Byrne brings Orwell’s writing to life onstage by adding another string to its bow. Paralleled alongside his evocative Parisian tales are the experiences of Polly Toynbee, columnist for The Guardian, who lived below the poverty line as research for her book Hard Work.

Simply seeing Orwell’s tale would’ve been engaging enough, but Byrne’s exploration of Toynbee’s experiences adds a certain level of relatability. We can relax while watching Orwell’s memoirs, since the destitution of 1920s Paris seems so far removed from modern living. But couple this with an exploration of twenty-first century poverty and you get a play that really hits home – especially in post-recession Britain, where more and more families fall devastatingly into poverty.

This paralleling is no doubt interesting, but it feels slightly ironic that we see Orwell actually struggling to survive, whereas we only get a journalist choosing to live below the poverty line. I by no means doubt the importance of Polly Toynbee’s research work; on the contrary, I wholeheartedly admire it. But would the portrayal of a family living in poverty be too hard to stomach? I suppose Byrne wants to retain the common denominator of struggling literary figures, yet I wonder how many struggling writers exist in modern Britain, and if they (and their words) make it out of this poverty trap.

Down & Out in Paris and London ends where its story begins, with Orwell and Toynbee sitting at their desks putting pen to paper. However, their pledges not to ever again berate kitchen staff, or the porter, or the waiter are perhaps the most important message to be taken from this production. Despite being its namesake, Orwell’s memoirs only colourfully underscore this poignant and engaging exploration of life below the line.

Down & Out in Paris and London is playing at the Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until August 31. For more information, visit the Fringe website.