A haunting and cinematic new adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies comes to Cambridge Corn Exchange this month, set to be one of the highlights of Cambridge’s theatrical calendar.
Hailed as ‘tremendous’ by The Independent and ‘a thrilling descent into horror… Unmissable’ by the Daily Telegraph, it has been adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams and comes direct from London’s award-winning Regent’s Park Theatre.
Stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash, a group of schoolboys embark on what seems to be a storybook adventure without rules or parents. But soon their lawless society descends into chaos as the laws of the jungle take over. The show stars Cambridge’s own Luke Ward-Wilkinson, who is looking forward to making his professional stage debut at the Corn Exchange.
“I’m not going to lie, I cannot wait to perform in my home town Cambridge,” Luke told us. “I have seen concerts, plays and musicals at the Corn Exchange and would never have thought I was going to one day perform on that very stage. Cambridge is blessed with so many diverse drama and music venues and having that accessibility throughout my childhood really helped to inspire my determination to become a performer and an actor.”
Luke plays the leader of the group, Ralph. “Ralph exudes a confidence that makes him the logical choice for the boys’ leader. He endeavours to maintain rules and civility and the main objective is to be rescued. Just a boy, Ralph naturally struggles within this role as the play unfolds.
Adds Luke: “The play is guaranteed to grip children and adults alike. The set design blew me away when I first saw it. There are also quite a few dangers involved with it for the cast, particularly when some of the set is on fire.
“This adaptation is very true to the book; it brilliantly traces the path these boys take from seeing the beauty and wonder of this island as young excited boys, to losing all sense of themselves and declining into savagery as time goes on.”
Runs 6-10 October, 7.30pm (2.30pm Thursday & Saturday matinee). Tickets from £22.50. Recommended age 11+.
