Review: LORD OF THE FLIES, Birmingham Rep Theatre, November 3 2015

William Golding's epic novel Lord of the Flies may have been published over sixty years ago but its themes and content are still supremely relevant today. This was reflected last night at Birmingham Rep with a virtually full house, consisting of many school parties. The book still remains on the school curriculum and based on this Regent's Park Open Air Production, it has been slightly adapted to a modern young audience - with references to selfies, 3G and even Ant & Dec! - without losing its powerful and timeless thread.

Lord of the Flies essentially tells the story of a group of boys who are involved in a plane crash on a secluded island. With no adults to speak of, the boys need to decide whether to create order or descend into chaos. With some choosing one path and some another, it is a tense two hours watching animal instinct take over and the tragedies that ensue.

Jon Bausor's set design, paired with Paul Keogan's lighting, is one of many layers which unravels as the show continues. The ripped apart rear end of an airplane takes up a large portion of the stage with a detached wing also present on the opposite side. The downstage area is merely a mass of personal belongings and debris from the crash. There are a multitude of entrances and exits, giving director Timothy Sheader and the actors a great deal to play with when blocking the show. The action never falters or tires and is continuously moving. It is a directorial tour de force and the level of detail is quite astonishing. The stamina from the performers is like nothing else I have seen in a long time and because of this, the health and safety elements must be highly considered due to the attack that the male cast give in their performances.

A creative decision was made to cast the boys as close to their character age as possible and hence we have a group of young men at the start of their careers with the youthfulness required. They consist of recent graduates and those with no professional training but some experience. Their biographies may be small at the moment but will be mighty over the coming years based on this performance.

Luke Ward-Wilkinson is very strong as Ralph who represents leadership and loyalty. His internal battle between being part of the two groups is clear but ultimately he chooses the moral route. Ralph's counterpart Jack, played by Freddie Watkins, is a very sinister character who admittedly has good leadership qualities but primal ones where violence is heavily involved. As a juxtaposition to Ward-Wilkinson, Watkins' characterisation works well but he is the only person who I felt was slightly overdramatic on occasion. Anthony Roberts is an excellent Piggy and everything he stands for is very endearing. His final scene could have been a little more focused and powerful but overall, he is brilliant. The cuteness factor comes in the form of David Evans as the youngest boy, Perceval. It was difficult to take your eyes off him when he was on stage - but perhaps more from a motherly perspective!

Intense and impressive, this production should not be missed.

Lord of the Flies plays at Birmingham Rep Theatre until Saturday 7th November and tours the UK until March 2016.

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