THE key question, when an iconic cultural work has remained important, is to ask why it is still important.

Such a question faced co-directors and adaptors Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan in transferred George Orwell's futuristic novel 1984 to the stage in a radical new Headlong touring production, as lead actor Matthew Spencer recalls.

"When they first approached it, they thought that rather than doing it 'literally', they had to ask what is the message today and try to put that on stage, while being true to the book, instead of just having a Big Brother face behind the actors."

Matthew is playing Comrade 6079, Winston Smith, who starts a diary, falls in love and becomes the rebel figure in Orwell's exploration of surveillance and identity , built around his vision of the future, as written in 1948, with its world of the ever-watching Big Brother, the Room 101 torture chamber, the Ministry of Love and the Thought Police.

"I read the book again as soon as I found out I had an audition, then re-read it again in rehearsals," says Matthew. "I've re-read it three or four times now because it 's like the Bible as a reference, and even though the play isn't a literal putting of the book's world on stage, the book is the most important tool because everything is sourced from it.

"But what was also important for me, looking at an iconic character like Winston Smith, was that everyone will have an individual response as to who he is, when they read the book, so it would be ridiculous to double-think what people would want to see on stage.

"My thought was, 'How do I relate to it?', and the directors were keen that I should bring something of myself to the piece."

Matthew is working with Robert Icke for a second time. "I did Romeo And Juliet with him for Headlong, which was Rob's professional debut as a director, and that was a very, very different creative process," he says. "It was strict because it was a set play, but this time, having written a new adaptation, if a scene wasn't working, Rob and Duncan would go away and write it again, so it's more organic."

Matthew would not consider himself to be a rebel in his own life, "or at least not to the degree Winston is". "So it's great to explore something on stage that I wouldn't do myself, as Winston goes on this great journey, and as an actor it's a really enjoyable journey to go on," he says, speaking in the opening week of the tour in Glasgow.

"My performance will definitely grow or maybe even change during the tour, though I'm not sure what direction it will go in as Rob and Duncan have stressed there's no such thing as a perfect show. They push us all the time to learn things, explore things, play with things."

Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse and the Almeida Theatre present 1984 at York Theatre Royal, tomorrow until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm, Thursday, and 2.30pm, Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk