Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre (TMYT) will next month be presenting Lord of the Flies by Nobel Prize winner William Golding.
The classic novel, a potent allegory about the loss of innocence and the decline of civilisation, is brought to dramatic life in Nigel Williams’ adaptation.
A plane crashes on a deserted island. The only survivors are a group of young adults. By day, it’s a tropical paradise of sun and sea; but each night, their dreams are inhabited by a terrifying beast.
From the comforts of their suburban lives, this well-behaved group turns into a bloodthirsty and murderous tribe. Myth and naturalism combine in a dynamic exploration of power, democracy and the struggle between the good and evil within us all. Lord of the Flies raises many issues central to the lives of today’s adolescents – peer pressure, bullying, gang rivalry – in its depiction of reason verses chaos.
We explore issues such as individualism vs community
A timeless piece of work following the central theme of the journey from teenager to adulthood, William Golding described writing his novel as “like lamenting the lost childhood of the world”.
Ian Moore, tutor of this season’s TMYT group, is the director of this production. He says: “The group, all young boys in the original, is now a mixed gender group of young adults. This in itself has dictated other conceptual decisions as it raises gender-specific questions, something the original doesn’t contend with.
“In revisiting the original story with a mixed gender cast, the opportunity also presented itself to explore deeper issues; that of conflict on and off the island; thus a decision was taken to set the piece in the contemporary world, replacing the World War II reference with that of the War on Terror.
“The concept, at all times, remains true to the intent in the original work as we explore issues such as individualism versus community, man and woman versus nature, and the loss of innocence, among other things.”
Lord of the Flies will be performed at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, with performances for schools on Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12 at 10am. Performances for the public will take place on Friday, April 12 at 7pm, Saturday, April 13 at 3pm and 7pm, and Sunday, April 14 at 3pm and 7pm. Individuals and schools interested in attending this performance for youths by youths should get in touch with the Manoel Theatre’s booking office via 2124 6389, or visit www.teatrumanoel.mt for details.