Lord of the Flies at The Lowry Manchester Review

Lord of the Flies
The Lowry, Manchester

1-5 December 2015

www.thelowry.com

Reviewed by Ann Durrell

Having not read Lord of the Flies since school I was a little apprehensive prior to seeing it live on stage for the first time. The book, set in WWII, is a dark and somewhat disturbing tale of a group of schoolboys marooned on a desert island after their plane is brought down. The boys initially revel in their surroundings and the thought of having no adult guidance. What then ensues is a power struggle with the group become fractioned, half turning savage with the remainder trying to reach some sort of normality with rules and democracy.

The whole performance, staging and direction was intense and the adaptation was right up to date. The staging was superb, the remains of the plane with a backdrop of the jungle created a dark and moody atmosphere from the outset and the direction of the production made sure that every inch was used. A good majority of the audience were school age, obviously studying the book for their exams and the mention of ‘banter’ and ‘I’m a Celebrity’ raised a giggle. Saying that, during the tense action you could have heard a pin drop, with my experience of groups of mid-teens that is not an easy thing to do! I thought that the choreography was very cleverly delivered, especially the slow motion parts which could have gone either way. It was also well presented when all the cast were on stage but dialogue was switching between the two groups.

My only negative would be I felt there was something lacking from Luke Ward-Wilkinson’s portrayal of Ralph, I didn’t find him as believable as some of the others. Conner Braybn as Jack was hit and miss, he started strong but like Ralph I just felt something was missing. Piggy, played by Anthony Roberts was one of the stand-out performances of the evening. Nervously tugging on his jumper whilst telling tales of his aunty, he really brought the character to life. You felt empathy for the schoolboy who just tries to bring some sort of rules and democracy but without the confidence to lead himself, his efforts just bring mocking and bullying by some of the stronger personalities in the group. I loved Keenan Munn-Francis as Simon, you could feel how lost he was, trying to make sense of the world he found himself in. The twins Felipe and Thiago Pigatto, almost sang their lines in perfect harmony, not missing a beat, no hard feat even for twins! The youngest of the cast, Guy Abrahams as Perceval I also thought gave an excellent performance, especially taking into account that this is his professional stage debut. Matthew Castle as Roger and Michael Ajao as Maurice also gave notable performances, towards the end of the play Castle did seem to become a little mentally un-hinged and Ajao battling with between his conscience and loyalties to Jack was very believable.

Even if you are not a fan of the book I would recommend catching this play, it is intense, dark and thought provoking whilst bringing a classic right up to date.

Rating: 4/5

Tickets cost from £16 to £28  (includes £2 booking fee).

Lord of the Flies is at The Lowry in Manchester until 5 December 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0843 208 6000.

The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3AZ | 0843 208 6000