A plane crash, a remote and deserted island, a group of students and a fight for survival. Are you ready for the adventure?
Featuring a diverse and dynamic company of actors, this exciting retelling of William Golding’s 1954 classic story reflects the world we live in now while remaining faithful to his fascinating, thought-provoking central premise.
What would a group of schoolchildren do if they were left to their own devices? How would they survive?
Amy Leach, Deputy Artistic Director, Leeds Playhouse: “This is a real piece of event theatre that will actively reflect and explore the world we live in today. It will, I’m sure, resonate across generations but will particularly chime with younger audiences – some of whom might be studying the original novel – who will see themselves, their struggles and their strength reflected back at them from the stage.”
This is a Leeds Playhouse and Belgrade Coventry co-production, presented in association with Rose Theatre, which premieres at the Quarry Theatre, Leeds Playhouse on 18 March-8 April.
Leeds actor Sade Malone (She/Her), who played Agnes Addo on four series of the BAFTA-winning CBBC show 4 O’Clock Club, has been cast as Ralph. Among her many theatre, TV, radio and film credits are: Cuckoo (Soho Theatre); Seasons in the Sun (East Riding Theatre); Hope Street (BBC); Tin Star (Sky Atlantic) and The Queen and I (Sky One).
Making his professional stage debut, Patrick Dineen (He/Him) is taking on the role of Jack. He has appeared in Doctors (BBC) and, while training at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, productions of London Road, Follies, and Romeo & Juliet.
Jason Connor (He/Him), a partially sighted actor, writer and theatre maker from Lancashire, is playing Piggy. His work focuses on pushing social and political boundaries, particularly emphasising LGBTQIA+ narratives, and recent projects include a collaborative devised performance Of Course It Hurts, and short film Nothing Happened.
The rest of the talented young cast are: Jason Battersby (He/Him) as Roger (Crazy for You, Chichester Festival Theatre; All New Adventures of Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal; Wendy and Peter Pan, Leeds Playhouse); Eloise Pennycott (She/Her), who works bilingually in BSL and spoken English, is making her professional stage debut as Sam (Phoenix Rise, BBC; The Power, Amazon Prime; Becoming Elizabeth, Starz); Ciaran O’Breen (He/Him) as Eric (Galwad, National Theatre of Wales & Collective Cymru; Hansel & Gretel, Paddleboat; Getting There, Deafinitely Theatre); Adam Fenton (He/They), a disabled writer and actor who was Offie Nominated in 2022 for Lead Performance in play for their work on The Solid Life of Sugar Water, as Simon (Spring and Port Wine, Octagon Theatre; Living Archive, The Royal Court; The Howling, Graeae Theatre Company); Aki Nakagawa (She/Her) as Henry (My Neighbour Totoro, RSC at the Barbican); Justice Ezi (He/Him), a 2022 graduate of the Arts Education School of Acting, as Maurice (The Odyssey, exploring how to tell the story to modern audiences with the National Theatre and Arts Council England); Nate Leung (He/Him), who made his stage debut in Matthew Bourne’s 2015 production of Lord of the Flies at Sadler’s Wells, as Bill (Beauty and the Beast, Disney); John Carter (They/Him) as Perceval (Roar, Sony; Kaos, Netflix; Never Let Me Go, Hulu; Peter Pan, Birmingham Rep); Kyle O’Gara (He/Him) as Naval Officer (Doctors, BBC; Birchanger Green, Film4; Macbeth, Leeds Playhouse; Blood Brothers, Bradford Playhouse); Angela Jones (She/Her), winner of the 2022 Spotlight Prize, as Ralph on tour/understudy in Leeds (The Two Popes, Rose Theatre; Jerk, BBC); and Olly Rhodes (He/Him), as understudy on his debut theatre tour (Far Away, Donmar Warehouse; Hollyoaks, Channel 4; The Last Kingdom, Netflix).
The Lord of the Flies creative team comprises: Director Amy Leach; Set & Costume Designer Max Johns; Lighting Designer Chris Davey; Sound Designer & Composer John Biddle; Casting Director Lucy Casson; Fight Director Kate Waters; Movement Director Natasha Harrison; Associate Fight Director Kyle O’Gara; BSL Consultant Stephen Collins; Lead BSL Interpreter Sarah Cox; Audio Description Director Benjamin Wilson; Assistant Director Zoe Lack; Trainee Assistant Director and Audio Description Consultant Ada Eravama.
LORD OF THE FLIES
Written by Nigel Williams. Adapted from the novel by William Golding
Book online at leedsplayhouse.org.uk
Box office: 0113 213 7700
Images are all Lord of The Flies company in rehearsals: Photography by David Lindsay.
