Theatre Works' Lord of the Flies: A Review of Steven Mitchell Wright's Overwrought Production

In a review for ArtsHub, Stephen A Russell critiques Steven Mitchell Wright's production of Nigel Williams' 1995 stage adaptation of William Golding's Lord of the Flies at Theatre Works in Melbourne. The production runs until 2 October. Russell argues that the show's relentless intensity from the outset undermines the novel's central theme of order collapsing into savagery, as there is no initial peace to disrupt. The cast, led by Angus Leighton as Ralph, Oliver Cowen as Piggy, and Sean Yuen Halley as Jack, immediately erupts into hooting and hollering, stripping away subtlety. Russell notes that Cowen's Piggy is hampered by an inconsistent accent, while Halley's Jack fails to project clearly, though his physicality is effective. More nuanced performances come from Oliver Gorringe and Declan Magee as twins Sam and Eric, Darcy Crawford as a littlun (whose stripping to breast binders is a powerful statement), and Sam Finn Gudgeon as Simon. Wright, who also designed most aspects, is criticized for a precipitously sloped set that creaks and becomes hazardous when water is used, and for naff realization of 'the beast' and confusing handling of the adult corpse. The sound design by Jack Burmeister overwhelms the dialogue, and the production's two-hour-forty-minute runtime feels excessive. Ultimately, Russell concludes that Golding's text crashes and burns like the plane in the story.