Lord of the Flies

In a unique collaboration with the Theatre Royal Glasgow, Matthew Bourne's New Adventures returns with a powerful new dance theatre adaptation based on the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Read more …

In this thrilling new production the action is transferred from deserted island to deserted theatre. A group of schoolboys find themselves abandoned. With no adults around they start to create their own rules and to build their own civilization. As time passes, the rituals become more disturbing as dark superstitions take hold. Order finally breaks down and blood is spilt as Ralph, Piggy, Jack and the boys grapple with the ‘beast within’ and the story builds to its thrilling climax. With a cast of New Adventures dancers and local young people, Golding's iconic characters are brought to life with raw energy, emotional intensity and electrifying performances. Chilling, beautiful and hugely entertaining, the piece will enthral die-hard Bourne fans as much as a generation of new audiences.

New Adventures' Lord of the Flies follows the phenomenal success of Swan Lake, Nutcracker!, The Car Man, and Edward Scissorhands. Matthew Bourne's directing and choreography credits also include the West end smash hits Oliver! and Mary Poppins.

The critical consensus

An enjoyable, memorable and thought-provoking production.

STV, 05/03/2011

This production is a work in progress but one which is of a very good standard already.

(*) (*) Adelle Hopkins, Theatre in Scotland, 06/03/2011

Providing little sense of the original's dramatic tension, but it is an impressive achievement for a first attempt.

(*) (*) Mark Fisher, The Guardian, 06/03/2011

The energy that builds is pulverising, unnerving – not just because the entire cast hurl themselves into the fierce physicality of these scenes but because the anarchy is meticulously detailed and totally inclusive.

(*) Mary Brennan, The Herald, 07/03/2011

Bourne and his fellow creators have managed to pull together something rather wonderful.

(*) Kelly Apter, The Scotsman, 08/03/2011

A kind of organised chaos it may be, but there is something undeniably exhilarating about it.

(*) (*) Mark Brown, The Telegraph, 08/03/2011