Review: Lord of The Flies, The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

What beasts lurk within us all? This unnerving possibility awakens and rages in Matthew Bourne’s stunning, highly-charged and terrifying Lord of The Flies.

Bourne’s dance production of William Golding’s classic at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, was brilliantly executed in the setting of a deserted theatre.

Here a group of schoolboys are isolated from the mannered order (we like to think we have) of western civilisation for an experience where visual beauty, horror and a hypnotic, heart-pounding quality carried the audience.

Their initial efforts to maintain a schoolboy kind of order fall away as innate and blatant bullying is nurtured by opportunity and lack of a higher authority. Discipline and respect are discarded with school uniforms.

A primitive and visceral tribal anarchy, headed by antihero Jack (Danny Reubens) becomes a groundswell in a power struggle to overwhelm the vestiges of good and decency embodied in Ralph (Sam Archer), Piggy (Sam Plant) and Simon (Layton Williams).

A suspension of belief that so many boys could be undiscovered and cut off for such a time in a theatre, where a tramp found his way in at one point before dying, was necessary. My son, aged 16, would not accept it, but I think it is a brilliantly imaginative and appropriate setting, aptly lending itself to this gutty reworking of Golding’s dystopia.

The economical set lent impact and added to the sense of the boys’ isolation, complementing the complex choreography, with many bodies in full-on motion at once.

Haunting, pulsing percussive music by Terry Davies was superb in pumping up the atmosphere or lacing the intensity of the disconcerting unease.. This was amplified in the eerie notes of a lone cello, with clever lighting intensifying the tale throughout.

What is truly special about this New Adventures production is the success of artistic director Bourne’s vision to engage boys and young men from the across the UK in dance, selecting them for “Flies” via workshops and taster sessions.

We were treated to some of the cream of Kent’s fledgling talent, blending seamlessly to full effect with professional dancers, in an energetic, testosterone-fuelled dark thriller, co-directed and choreographed by Bourne and Scott Ambler. The show was developed in 2011 and has proved so inspiring for some of the young amateurs, they have continued to dance, some moving on to conservatoire training and professional dancing careers.

They not only throw body and soul into the dancing and movement, but they also act with chilling conviction and emphasis.

On the opening night , Bourne himself, one of the UK’s most acclaimed and successful choreographers and directors, was in the house, thrilling his fans.

It will be fascinating to follow the future performing arts careers of those involved from Kent, including: From Canterbury, Elorm Ahorsu, 13, Ashlly Ally, 14, Harrison Mogg-Walls, 14; from Whitstable, Joe Holgate, 15; from Herne Bay, Robert Gain, 12, Ben Hughes, 19, Luke Lamkin, 13, Harvey Shulver, nine, Adam Strotton, 13, Kiyia Velasco Mills, 15, Conor White, 19; from Chartham, Zachary Spicer, 11; from Chilham, Noah Wetherby, 15; from Dover, Owen Dawson, 16; from Medway, Benjamin Derham, 16, Samuel Miller, 19; from Ashford, Joel Dunning, 13, Matty Hill, 14; from Lydd, Callum Oiller, 13; from Folkestone, Christopher Taylor, 22.

The audience was mesmerised and the standing ovation well-deserved.

Two warnings: younger children in the audience are likely to be alarmed, especially if unprepared. Brace yourself for the jump scares.

Now, for a well-overdue re-reading of Lord of the Flies.

Lord of the Flies is at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury until Saturday, September 27. Visit www.marlowetheatre.com or call 01227 787787.