Lord of the Flies Opens New Season at Theatre Royal Bath

Following sell-out London performances, Regent’s Park Theatre’s staging of Lord of the Flies tours to Bath as the 2016 season opens at the Theatre Royal.

Regent’s Park Theatre’s gripping production of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams, visits Bath from Tuesday 12th January to Saturday 16th January opening the Theatre Royal’s Spring 2016 Season.

Lord of the Flies marks the return of Regent’s Park Theatre to Bath following their smash hit production of To Kill a Mockingbird last January.

After a group of schoolboys survive a catastrophic plane crash, what starts as a classic desert island adventure quickly descends into a struggle for survival in a darkly sinister world of superstition and immorality. William Golding’s 20th century classic explodes onto the stage in this remarkable production direct from London’s award-winning Regent’s Park Theatre.

First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies was William Golding’s debut novel. His other works including Free Fall, The Spire, the Booker Prize-winning Rites of Passage, The Paper Men and Fire Down Below. In 1983 Golding was awarded The Nobel Prize for Literature.

The cast of young actors performing in Lord of the Flies features Freddie Watkins as Jack, whose television credits include Holby City, Doctors, Crossing Lines and The Five. His film appearances include Nativity! and Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! alongside his father, actor Jason Watkins. Freddie makes his professional stage debut in Lord of the Flies.

Luke Ward-Wilkinson, who plays the role of Ralph, played Evan Trevanion in ITV’s Wild at Heart for 3 years, starring alongside Amanda Holden and Stephen Tompkinson. His other television credits include the lead role of Simon Doonan in 2 series of BBC’s Beautiful People; as well as appearances in Doctors, Luther, Sharpe’s Peril, The Secret of Eel Island and Silent Witness. His film credits include Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey and Love Does Grow on Trees, for which he won the Best Newcomer Award at The Rushes Soho Awards. Luke has previously performed on stage in Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House.

Playing the role of Simon is Keenan Munn-Francis, whose stage credits include The Scottsboro Boys and The Lion King. Anthony Roberts plays the role of Piggy with Matthew Castle as Roger, Dylan Llewellyn as Henry, Michael Ajao as Maurice, Yossi Goodlink as Bill and Jonathan Holby as Naval Officer. Twin brothers Thiago Pigatto and Fellipe Pigatto will play twins Sam and Eric, and the role of Perceval will be shared by David Evans, Guy Abrahams and Benedict Barker.

Lord of the Flies is directed by Regent’s Park Theatre’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader. It is co-directed by Liam Steel with design by Jon Bausor, composition and sound score by Nick Powell.

Timothy Sheader has been Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Regent’s Park Theatre since 2007.  His numerous productions for Regent’s Park include All My Sons; The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, which was nominated for a 2015 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival; To Kill a Mockingbird, which played Bath last January and won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Play Revival; Crazy for You, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival; Hello, Dolly!, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical; and Into the Woods, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, and also ran in New York’s Central Park. He has also directed productions for Chichester Festival Theatre, the National Theatre, The Watermill, Sheffield Crucible, and in the West End.

Lord of the Flies appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th January 2016. Tickets are available from the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk