George Bukhari, James Clay & More Lead LORD OF THE FLIES, Opens Tonight

After accepting the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival for the second year in a row for Into the Woods, Artistic Director Timothy Sheader gets rehearsals underway for the first play of the 2011 season, Lord of the Flies. Marking the centenary of William Golding's birth, this gripping adaptation by Nigel Williams will kick-start the season from 19 May.

The production will rediscover this classic story in the unconfined and unparalleled atmosphere of theatre in the open air. With a group of schoolboys stranded on a desert island, what starts as an adventure becomes a struggle for survival as superstition and immorality sees the community slide into a darkly sinister world.

Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel co-direct a cast of up-and-coming young actors including George Bukhari (Piggy), James Clay (Jack), Sam Clemmett (Bill), Theo Cowan (Henry), Matt Ingram (Roger), Jordan Maxwell (Maurice), James McConville (Sam), StuArt Matthews (Eric), Alistair Toovey (Ralph) and Joshua Williams (Simon). Harrison Sansostri, Spike White and Adam Thomas Wright are sharing the role of Perceval.

The 2010 season at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre became the most successful in the theatre's history with more than 142,000 visitors across its sixteen-week run. Capitalising on the inimitable relationship between production and setting, Into the Woods became the highest-grossing single production at the theatre taking £1.2m in five weeks, whilst The Comedy of Errors became the most successful Shakespeare play. Arthur Miller's The Crucible, attracted a whole new audience to the theatre: 72% of those who attended the play had never been to the venue before. Steve Marmion's production of Macbeth, re-imagined for ages six and over, achieved the highest footfall for a family show.

Continuing the 2011 season, Lucy Bailey directs John Gay's The Beggar's Opera from 23 June - 23 July, and Shakespeare's Pericles will be directed by Natalie Abrahami, re-imagined for everyone aged six and over from 2- 23 July. The final production of the 2011 season, playing from 28 July - 10 September, is George and Ira Gershwin's hit musical comedy, Crazy for You. The creative team from the multi-award winning production of Hello, Dolly! re-unite as Timothy Sheader directs, with choreography by Stephen Mear and designs by Peter McKintosh. Gareth Valentine returns as the musical director after joining the Open Air Theatre last season for Sondheim's Into the Woods.

The box office at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is now open. Members of the public can also call the Box Office on 0844 826 4242 or book online at www.openairtheatre.com

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