29 Aug 2025
Deborah Heath is castaway on OVO’s makeshift desert island to review the latest production by the Youth Ensemble…
William Golding’s most revered novel is given a superb theatrical realisation at St Albans Roman Theatre by OVO’s Youth Ensemble this week.
Golding was inspired by his career as a teacher when writing ‘Lord Of The Flies’ which makes a believable collection characters and a terrifyingly real story.
This was a great, gutsy choice for OVO’s youth ensemble; a story about young people but with no saccharin sentimentality. This is a dark, dystopian story, quite a departure from ‘The Secret Garden’ and ‘The Railway Children’ from previous years (the latter being performed by OVO’s community rather than youth group but featuring a large cast of young people).
A group of WWII evacuees emerge from a plane crash on a remote island. Finding themselves to be without adults, they work out how to survive and organise themselves. ‘Lord of the Flies’ explores the human need for rules and leadership and what happens when they are taken away. There is an enduring relevance to this story both in terms of the outcomes of war and even a little comedy in the very British need for committees.
Setting the scene immediately was Simon Nicholas’ spectacular set. ‘Lord of The Flies’ may have inspired the TV show ‘Lost’ but I feel that the vibe of ‘Lost’ might have inspired this production! Broken sections of fuselage framed the stage with packing crates, rubble and greenery transporting us immediately to the island.
Ryan Rusconi and Ollie Welland’s sound design put us on edge and Caitlin MacGregor’s lighting was employed perfectly throughout to highlight the tension and action in the play. Nigel Williams’ adaptation is strong, although Act I was very long (almost double the length of Act II) and would have benefitted from a little pruning to keep the momentum going at times.
With a talented cast of almost 30 young people, it doesn’t feel right to single performers out. However, everyone shone from the weightier roles to the supporting ones; acting throughout even when the focus wasn’t on them. I was blown away by their teamwork and ability to portray some really unpleasant moments so credibly. Without giving spoilers, Piggy’s final scene was outstanding. I would also like to commend the cast for their tenacity in performing in bad weather!
Stephanie Allison’s movement direction was a stand out feature of this production and was beautifully executed by the cast. OVO made a good choice in programming this play at the end of the festival because the naturally earlier fading light complemented the developing darkness of the story as he children went feral.
Director Faith Turner clearly had a strong vision coupled with an unparalleled knack for bringing the best out of young performers. I do hope she will direct OVO Youth Ensemble’s next production and am looking forward to finding out what it is!
All photos by Elliott Franks.
