Audiences entering the Old Gym in November were transported to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean for a dynamic adaptation of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies.
Staged in-the-round for a fully immersive experience, the production began in complete darkness as the sound of an aeroplane soared overhead before its engines faltered and it crashed into the ocean. As the lights came up and the sound of the jungle could be heard, the audience looked onto a small sandy clearing in which the story would unfold.
With a double cast over four performances there were opportunities for plenty of pupils to be involved. Ralph, played by Rio (D) and Seb (A), was first to enter this strange new land. With the arrival of Piggy, played by George (G) and Emma (M), he found that he was not the only one to survive the crash and upon discovering a conch shell, they were soon joined by Jacqueline Merridew (Jack), played by Sophie (M) and Silvia (K), and a motley crew of survivors.
As the story unfolded, Ralph and Jack found themselves thrust into conflict as Ralph attempted to hold onto civilized values and rules as they awaited rescue while Jack embraced the darkness at the centre of the island and regressed back to a more savage-like state. Golding’s story is allegorical and asks an audience to explore the internal struggle between good and evil that he believed was within us all.
In staging the play at Bradfield, the decision was made that our production would take place in the present day and that our islanders could be both male and female. Having discussed Golding’s intentions for the book, our cast and crew did not feel either of these changes would have a detrimental impact on the characters or themes at all. They came to the realisation that each character had an integral part of the story to tell and that each represented an aspect of the human psyche. For the Company, Ralph was the light, Jack the darkness, Simone the soul, Piggy the logic, Roger the hate and Percy the innocence; every character and every actor essential to the piece.
To have the opportunity and time to not only stage the play but explore it was a fulfilling experience for the cast. Using a range of acting exercises, they were able to bring the island to life and left audiences asking themselves the question: “If I were on the island, whose tribe would I join?”
