Here’s a tip – if you’re going to see Lord of the Flies when it visits Inverness or Aberdeen, then pre-order your interval drinks because by the time the break comes, you’ll be ready for it.
Ahead of its visit to Eden Court and Aberdeen, I saw the show in Manchester and was so caught up in the action and drama I only realised at the interval I’d been unconsciously gripping the arms of my seat.
This is, at times, a white-knuckle ride from the dance genius Matthew Bourne, whose New Adventures company has produced some of the most successful dance theatre productions of the last 25 years including Swan Lake, Nutcracker!, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Highland Fling.
This new dance production of William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies is remarkable for several reasons.
Without a word being spoken, it retells the classic tale, but what makes it special is that the cast features eight professionals and more than a dozen local boys, taking to the stage for the first time.
Having taken part in workshops for several weeks, the training is such that in the ensemble pieces it’s impossible to tell which lads are making their theatrical debut.
William Golding’s book is now 60 years old and remains a chilling tale of what happens when society breaks down.
While the production sticks faithfully to the plot, there are lots of little touches that let you know it has been updated.
Opening with the boys dressed in short-trousered school uniform, the dancers move in an orderly manner which suggests a familiarity with obedience and rule following.
But following an incident, the schoolboys find themselves abandoned.
With no mobile phone signals and no adults around, they at first rejoice in their new-found freedom, but before long make their own rules and create their own civilisation, but order breaks down, which leads to an electrifying and gripping climax.
There are lots of nice touches such as using an old Shell oil drum to determine who gets to speak – in the book they use a conche.
The sound of the drum beating creates a pretty tense atmosphere while with every scene there’s a change in atmosphere, and an undercurrent that gets stronger with every beat.
As the story unfolds and the boys split into camps, you become totally absorbed as, before your eyes, they turn into Rambo-style painted savages.
With mob mentality taking a grip, some of the scenes aren’t easy to watch and the speed at which they fling themselves across the stage is impressive – they’re rather like a pack of wild animals.
It’s amazing how, without a word being spoken, dancers convey everything from loneliness and sheer terror to love and hatred.
Equally fascinating is seeing the boys grow in stature and age as they dart across every inch of the set.
Such is the professionalism of the show that you instantly forget some dancers are taking to the stage for the first time.
Eden Court put out an appeal to find boys and young men, aged between 11 and 22, to take part in the show.
No formal dance training was required, they just needed to be physically fit and willing to have a go at something new.
Persuading Highlanders to take part wasn’t that easy as Matthew, who began training as a professional dancer at 22, explained: “This was one of the harder places to get people involved, as places like Glasgow and Edinburgh have more of an arts tradition, but ultimately I think the Inverness group will be the most rewarding as it features young people who really have not thought of dance as something they want to do.
“Persuading people to swap football boots for ballet pumps is a big step and even some teachers can be against it – some sports teachers felt it wasn’t something their lads should be doing and that, along with the peer pressure, doesn’t help, so at times we were fighting that as well.
“But for those who are taking part, this will be a life-changing experience for them.
“The professional dancers appearing were hand-picked to be in this production because it’s more than just a performance, it’s about mentoring, being a role model, talking to the lads and becoming a whole company.
“They find it very rewarding and it’s quite moving for them.”
Dancer Luke Murphy, 26, who takes the role of Sam, has been dancing since he was six years old and this is his eighth year with New Adventures, for whom he is dance captain and charged with looking after the eight professional dancers in this show, including the only Scot, Jack Hazelton, who takes the role of Eric, Sam’s twin.
After graduating, Luke joined Bourne’s New Adventures to play Sheldon Grubb on the international tour of Edward Scissorhands and stayed with the company.
“I can see the same spirit, passion and dedication in the lads coming through that I had,” said Luke.
“In this show, we can feel the tension, and while there is violence there is a certain beauty in violence on stage,” said Luke.
“People should come and see the show because it’s incredible to see what a group of young lands, who haven’t necessarily been exposed to dance, can achieve given the chance.”
For 21-year-old Jack, seeing the youngsters confidently take to the stage has been a fantastic experience.
“I took my first dance class aged 14 but didn’t take it seriously until a year later,” said Jack.
“I got into dance through drama and it finally dawned on me that this was much more than a hobby.
“After graduating from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, I got my first job as a character in Disneyland Paris, which was a lot of fun.
“In this show, I play Eric, and the company swing, which means I cover other roles.
“After the first-night performance, I was speechless, because at the start of this process, we didn’t know how it would work out as a lot of the kids had never had any real interest in dance, but they were fantastic, while I’d achieved my ambition of working with Matthew Bourne.
“Matthew has once again taken a well-known story and re-adapted it to make it fresh and exciting, but the biggest thing is getting local boys involved.
“Even if at the end of this we get one person to consider dance as a career then we will have achieved our goal.”
In Manchester, the show got a well-deserved standing ovation – a scene that’s been created numerous times since.
Matthew has created a fantastic opportunity for youngsters to get involved with theatre and it’s something theatre-goers in the Highlands and Aberdeen should support.
When you come away, you might just have witnessed several dance stars of the future taking their first steps.
Lord of the Flies is at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, from today until Saturday, May 31, with performances at 7.30pm nightly and matinees on May 29 and 31. Contact the box office on 01463 234234.
The show visits His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, from Wednesday, August 27, until Saturday, August 30, with performances at 7.30pm nightly plus matinees on the Thursday and Saturday. Contact 01224 641122.