Lord of the Flies – Leeds Playhouse

Writer: William Golding

Adapter: Nigel Williams

Director: Amy Leach 

Amy Leach, Deputy Artistic Director at Leeds Playhouse and Director of Lord of the Flies, invites the audience of Lord of the Flies to draw parallels between the themes of this famous story and the world we live in today.

A nameless island represented by a set comprising of a single brutalist structure and tall palm trees becomes home for a group of young plane crash survivors, fleeing war in Britain. No sooner are we introduced to the school children do we see hierarchies and tribes form onstage. Allegiances are pledged and broken with two disparate groups behaving in a manner reminiscent of the very society they have tried to escape.

As the play progresses, the common themes well-known to the story take on a new light against our current political backdrop – how much are we determined by the place we live in and the narratives we are fed? In this case, this determination is inescapable and results, dire. The audience must ask, as Leach does, what effect will this have on our future generations?

The ensemble cast take on the roles of students excellently, each bringing a unique character to the group. Particular highlights are the instantly dislikeable Jack, aggressively played by Patrick Dineen and Jason Battersby’s Roger whose swagger and cockiness exude confidence and a lack of respect for authority. The play is made contemporary through a cast which is largely representative of a modern British classroom – the d/Deaf community and those with additional needs rightly take important roles on stage. Eloise Pennycoat as Sam translates into BSL throughout the performance; short scenes are delivered entirely in BSL, and through the attentive use of key words prior to these scenes, the audience are able to follow what is being said between the two d/Deaf characters.

John Biddle’s sound design at times employs classical piano to heighten the tension on stage and throw into sharp relief the disparity between the chaos that is and the beauty that could be when the slate is wiped clean. The physical set is exploited by Chris Davey’s lighting wonderfully; long, eerie shadows are cast along the back wall from the palm trees creating an oppressive atmosphere which further enhances the power of the island.

However, for the overall impression of the set, some elements let it down. Fires which should be primal and life-giving are pitiful and speakers which line the edge of the stage are badly hidden by paltry plants rather than becoming part of the set and island.

This missing of small things lets what could be a great production down. The cast positively vibrate with energy when performing as an ensemble, but some of the more tender moments are lost resulting in a lack of balance and scenes which become somewhat tiresome.

Runs until 8th April 2023