LORD OF THE FLIES
Exeter Northcott Theatre: 16th - 19th January 2019
"It's dead. It came out of the dark, and now it's dead."
Set against the backdrop of a mysterious conflict engulfing the world, a plane carrying a group of evacuated school children crash-lands on a deserted island. The eleven girls and boys that survive are faced with the challenge of co-existing in a hostile new environment severed from the society they have left behind. Can the children create something better than the war that drove them from their homes, or will the inevitability of human behaviour bind them to the mistakes of the adult world they were raised in?
Directed by India and Will for Exeter University Theatre Company, Lord of the Flies was a brutal contemporary reimagining of the literary classic, playing to a sold-out 460-capacity Northcott Theatre.
In an age where world leaders behave like children, it is a text that has never seen more startling relevance. Given the opportunity to reinvent this dark and timeless social fable, we approached this show with the intent to unpick the original story’s concept of savagery – what does this look like in the 21st century, and how does this differ to the more colonial impression of savagery from Golding’s novel?
The conclusion we drew was that contemporary savagery is an excess of control as opposed to a lack of it, and as a result Jack imposed a militaristic regime over the island rather than one idolising lawlessness and ‘freedom’.
Creative team:
Directed by India Howland and Will Pinhey
Produced by Matt Farley and Cathryn Williams
Production supervision by Emma Gabola and Katie Ripley
Costume design by Julia Vredenberg
Stage management by Rudy Tan
Music by Hum Chadna
Photography by Emily Appleton
Logo and poster designs by Megan Shepherd
Sound design by Amy Mellows
Lighting by Iarina Armaselu
Make-up and effects by Jemima Cooper
Starring:
Emma-Kate Barry as Rachel
Samuel Nicholls as Jack
Harvey Wright as Piggy
Laura Jackson as Rosie
Patrick Swain as Simon
Lila Boschet as Sam
Mima Beauchamp as Erica
Charlie Howard as Maurice
Roisin McCay as Penelope
Annabel Wilde as Billie
Fraser Brown as Henry
'It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, and most importantly, it'll make you think.' - Exeposé
'A thrilling performance that had the audience constantly on the edge of their seats.' - RAZZ magazine
'There aren't enough words for me to accurately do this production justice.' - Exeposé
'Overwhelmingly intense, yet absolutely thrilling...unmissable.' - RAZZ magazine.
