Lord of the Flies - Based on the novel by William Golding . Adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams
- Directed by Blake Robison
- Produced By Round House Theatre
- Reviewed by Steven McKnight
Directing a theatrical production of the classic novel “Lord of the Flies” is a task with a high degree of difficulty. Balancing the degree of symbolism versus realism, deciding how to stage the action sequences, and handling a large ensemble of young men are just a few of the challenges. Fortunately, Blake Robison nails every artistic choice in Round House Theatre’s gripping and memorable new production.
The story begins with a group of British schoolboys stranded on an island following a plane crash. While the island at first seems an idyllic paradise with no adults and no rules, the boys gradually face the “beast” that may lurk on the island and in their souls. A breakdown of civilization leads to conflict that makes both a fascinating parable and compelling theatre.
The producer chose to fill most of the cast with young adult men who possess a youthful appearance. Any small loss in verisimilitude is more than outweighed by the acting chops of this talented ensemble. This experienced cast handles the British dialects, the character evolutions, and the stage combat with effortless aplomb. Moreover, their physical maturity makes the threatened and actual violence even more menacing.
The three leads all offer convincing performances. Ralph (Alexander Strain) is a smooth and charismatic figure who is naturally chosen chief by the other boys shortly after they gather. He is a nuanced character, capable of dominance in seizing Piggy’s glasses to build a fire and regretful enough to apologize afterwards. As the head hunter who challenges Ralph’s leadership, Jack (Evan Casey) is a strong, bordering on psychotic, figure. Piggy (Craig Patterson) is a memorable character who is irritating to the other boys because of his annoying lack of social graces, his physical shortcomings, and his insistence on calling for decisions through group meetings.
The director skillfully moves the story forward with high energy and a modern sensibility. Scenes breaks feature modern music and often include some exhilarating interpretive dance. The stage combat is handled in a stylized manner that is equally well choreographed.
The fact that we can anticipate the evolving savagery only makes it more awful to experience. We are fascinated by the hunters’ increasing physicality as they submit to a Jack’s authority and a primitive lifestyle. It is heartrending to understand the accuracy of Piggy’s warning not to risk losing authority by blowing the conch shell to call a meeting that the hunters may ignore. Finally, even those who have not read the book can see the logical outcome of Piggy’s final campaign to force the hunters to recognize and do what’s right.
The actors are aided by flawless production elements. Kevin Rigdon’s scenic design is both functional and beautiful, an abstract tri-level set with a craggy slanted rock cliff on top. His lighting design is equally impressive in conveying the sense of fire, in moving from day to night, and in using colors to convey moods for the dance and combat sequences.
Trish Rigdon’s costume design is also perfectly suited to the story. The boys evolve from authentic prep school outfits to disheveled and worn clothing, supplemented by war paint for the hunters. Matthew Nielson’s sound design delivers a powerful yet balanced set of effects, from the opening plane crash to the raw techno-rock excerpts.
While the adaptation of Golding’s novel (first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1995) is skillful, it does inevitably suffer from the difficulty of conveying inner psychological turmoil. Certain aspects of the novel, such as the role of the “Lord of the Flies” (a pig’s head mounted on a stick) and the symbolism of Simon’s character, are not fully realized in the script. In addition, the fate of Simon is one instance where the stylized violence undercuts the event’s horror and what should have been a more powerful end to Act I.
The program lists the time of the play as “Today or Tomorrow.” While Golding’s 1954 novel remains a classic work, this stunning modern production makes the story even more powerful and disturbing. The psychological and visceral thrills of this work offers fine entertainment for anyone from teenagers on up. Just remind yourself to inhale so you don’t pass out during the breathlessly exciting second act.
- Running Time: 1:55 (one intermission)
- Where: Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD.
- When: Now through Sunday, April 27.
- Tickets: Adult tickets are $50-$60; child/teen tickets are $20.
- Info: Visit the theatre’s box office, call (240) 644-1100, or go online.
Blake Robison is doing the right thing by trying to appeal to younger audiences. Lord knows Roundhouse has the oldest subscriber base in the area. If some theatre companies don’t attempt to change their season to bring in younger crowds, theatre in the DC area will slowly die out with it’s ancient subscribers. Although I agree Lord of the Flies was a disaster, I blame that on young actors and a terrible adaptation. I thought the choice to include hard rock music, while not always successful, could have been very interesting. I applaud theaters like Signature and Woolly and Studio and yes even Roundhouse for trying to appeal to a younger audience, even at the immediate peril of alienating their subscribers.
I aagree. it was terrible. On the whole Blake Robison has dumbed down every one of his literay works. He seems to be aiming at teenagers and not very well-read ones at that. I support Round House as a long time subscriber but have been very disappointed of late. The only good thing that I can say about Lord of the Flies is that it was not as bad as Treasure Island. diana brosnan
Wow! I can’t believe we saw this show so differently. I went to see LOTF full of anticipation and came away very disappointed. (I love anything on an island – LOST, Survivor, etc.)
The basic set design was excellent as a platform, but since there are so many references to the thick trees, I needed to be looking at more than a lunar landscape to be able to visualize the forest. Some sort of stylized tree/forest effect on the back wall might have helped immensely. Especially when Simon causes a panic by appearing suddenly from the woods — what woods??? He rolled off a rock into a mosh pit – and looked like he was having fun in a group dance.
I did like the sound design, but the choreography and slo-mo violence looked more like a music video than a stage play. I suppose it might have been entertaining enough on its own, but in context it pulled me out of the story — and by the second act became downright tedious. And the fake-looking plastic spears looked like they wouldn’t cut butter – not threatening at all. (I undestand representational props and set pieces, but this went too far.)
As for the acting — again I have to disagree with the review. I thought it was mediocre at best, and some of the British accents were downright awful. And the ending of both acts just didn’t work.
So… as much as I love Roundhouse Theatre, and as excited as I was to see this show, I came away thinking that it was really a pretty amateurish effort. Sad but true.