Artist: Amy Baxter
My eldest son was visiting his grandparents in Brisbane and although I wanted to take him as my companion to the Lord of the Flies at New Theatre in Newtown, I thought it was good chance to check it out to see if he could handle it. I had not read the book or seen the movie previously but I had heard that bad things happen on the island filled with school boys left to fend for themselves.
The set, costumes and props for Lord of the Flies are simple allowing room for the story to be told without any distractions. The actors playing the roles of children are not patronising - we have seen productions where some actors over play the role of a child. The focus is on the relationship of boys thrown together through a tragedy who at first think a world without adults is ideal but turns into a nightmare. A few scenes within this production could be disturbing for younger children but teens would be fine dealing with the themes of bullying, murder, madness and the loss of innocence. I am going to make the effort to see the production again this weekend with my son.
This evening my family (aged 13, 10 and 8) and I enjoyed the 1963 film and I am now reading the book ready to pass onto my children. The book is discussed from Year 10 in the NSW curriculum but I think it should be introduced earlier to discuss the array of themes that are still relevant in todays society.
Lord of the Flies runs until 12 May 2012
New Theatre
King Street Newtown
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