In 1984, at age 13 to 14, my relationship with theatre and film changed forever. It was the year I transitioned from simply attending shows with my family to venturing out on my own. I snuck into my first 15-certificate films and took my 8-year-old brother to movies meant for much younger audiences. That year, I saw 21 live performances and 30 films at the cinema wish I’d kept a track of what I watched on telly too. Although doodles in school exercise from that year indicate a certain obsession with The Avengers.
Fast forward to 2024, and I embarked on a unique challenge: to recreate my 1984 experience by revisiting every film and live production I had seen that year—on the exact date I saw it. My movie-watching habits had certainly evolved. Over the course of 2024, I watched 869 films, including 84 in cinemas, with the rest at home. I also attended 60 live events, spanning theatre, concerts, circus performances, and talks. You can read more about Ellen's Year in Film: 2024 here, and my top cultural highlights from 2024 here.
Now, with the project complete, here’s the second half of my journey through 1984. You can read about January to June here.
Let the time-travel recap begin!
Live Performances
July
No Live productions seen in 1984, but in 2024 I did tick something off my bucket list by seeing Pet Shop Boys live at the Royal Opera House. They too were celebrating their 40th anniversary with their ‘greatest hits’ tour. I first heard them in 1984 with their breakthrough hit, West End Girls.
August
No Live productions seen in 1984.
September
1st September 1984 saw Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria
1st September 2024 saw Starlight Express at the Wembley Troubadour
20th September 1984 saw Northern Ballet’s Les Sylphides and Alice in Wonderland at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre
20th September 2024 saw a recording of American Ballet Theatre’s 1984 production of Ballet’s Les Sylphides and The Mad Hatter's Tea Party by hip hop company ZooNation at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Theatre. Bonus watch: 19th September 2024 saw a filmed version of Northern Ballet’s 1984.
October
20th October 1984 saw HMS Pinafore at the Barbican Centre
20th October 1984 saw HMS Pinafore, D’Oyly Carte’s 1982 filmed version
31st October 1984 saw 42nd Street at the Drury Lane Theatre
31st October 2024 saw 42nd Street, the 1933 film
November
1st November 1984 saw Evita at Prince Edward Theatre 1st November 2024 saw Evita, 1996 film and Evita: The Making of a Superstar, a 2018 documentary celebrating the musical’s 40th anniversary
7th November 1984 saw West Side Story at Her Majesty’s Theatre 7th November 2024 saw the documentary Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story, which was filmed in 1984
10th November 1984 saw The Boyfriend at the Albery Theatre
10th November 2024 saw The Boyfriend, Ken Russell’s 1971 meta-musical film version
December
1st December 1984 saw On Your Toes at the Palace Theatre
1st December 2024 saw On Your Toes, the 1939 film (which frustratingly cuts most of the songs )
8th December 1984 saw Pump Boys and Dinettes at the Piccadilly Theatre
8th December 2024 saw Pump Boys and Dinettes, a recording of the original Toronto cast from 1983 Bonus watch: 7th December 2024 saw Moulin Rouge at the Piccadilly Theatre
27th December 1984 saw Dick Whittington at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford
27th December 2024 saw Dick Whittington at the Kings Theatre in Portsmouth
And with a fabulous pantomime at the theatre where I used to work, that concludes my year of revisiting everything I saw at the theatre and cinema in 1984monce again in 2024. Here are the films I watched from July to December, on the exact dates I originally saw them in 1984.
Supergirl
Jabberwocky
Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back/The Return of the Jedi
Splash
Splash
Romancing the Stone
The Karate Kid
101 Dalmatians
Ghostbusters
An Ewok Adventure: Caravan of Courage
You can see all the film related activity via letterboxd, my #OTD1984EllenSaw list combines both the films I saw in 1984 revisited for this project, and the films watched in lieu of live productions. And although not as active on X as I was, you can follow the adventures on X via #OTD1984EllenSaw thread.
And in January 2025, Paul Tonks, film buddy (who I re-watched the Star Wars trilogy with) and co-host of Excellent Adventures: the Time Travel Movie podcast presented me with a certificate confirming that all my time travelling had not created a paradox.
Commenti