Lord of the Flies

Watched Lord of the Flies at the Esplanade today. Was pretty intrigued by this book when I first read it and was looking forward to seeing it acted out. It explores the various ways man handles freedom & stress/tension through a story about a group of boys stranded on an island and how they became increasingly barbaric and started killing each other.
"Free from the rules that adult society formerly imposed on them, the boys marooned on the island struggle with the conflicting human instincts that exist within each of them—the instinct to work toward civilization and order and the instinct to descend into savagery, violence, and chaos."

The set was pretty cool...the Theatre Studio at the Esplanade is a small cosy theatre (just 5 rows of seats along the 4 walls) and it was set up like an island with trees all round and a sand pit (representing the beach) as centrestage. The play was a little draggy but might be worth an experience if you've got $40 to spare :)

Here's a link to the plot summary if I may attempt to interest you in reading the book (don't worry, it's not difficult to read!) :

In the midst of a raging war, a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down over a deserted tropical island. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, discover a conch shell on the beach, and Piggy realizes it could be used as a horn to summon the other boys. Once assembled, the boys set about electing a leader and devising a way to be rescued. They choose Ralph as their leader, and Ralph appoints another boy, Jack, to be in charge of the boys who will hunt food for the entire group....read more here http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/summary.html (check out the 'analysis of the major characters' and the themes, motifs & symbols' to get a better understanding of the story)