William Golding’s debut novel (and most famous book) Lord of the Flies was first published in 1954. It tells the story of privileged British children who have landed on an isolated island after surviving an airplane crash. Without adult supervision and authority, the fragile and haphazard society they create quickly degenerates into chaos and violence.
Next month, Theatre Works presents a reimagining by Director Steven Mitchell Wright who uses the iconic 1954 text to interrogate modern-day toxic masculinity and pack-mentality.
For actor Sean Yuen Halley, it was a project he simply could not turn down saying when Steven Mitchell Wright first approached him with the idea late last year over a coffee, he immediately had a good feeling about the project.
“Lord of the Flies is an iconic text and the prospect of getting to bring it to life on a stage is certainly an exciting proposition. Equally, I was really inspired by what Steven had to say regarding his process, how it’s evolved over time and what he wanted to try with this project. I wanted to focus on improving my physical expression as a performer this year and getting to train in the Suzuki method with this ensemble has been such a gift in my development as an actor.”
Yuen Halley plays Jack, the strong-willed antagonist of the novel.
“Jack is often pegged as the villain of Lord of the Flies, but I don’t think I’d be doing my job if I played him as a panto villain,” says Yuen Halley
“He begins the story already possessing a certain amount of status and authority and then finds himself in an environment where that authority suddenly means very little. Ralph is chosen to lead instead of him, and I think that humiliation is enormously important. From there, Jack begins discovering another kind of power—one based less on rules or consensus and more on fear, spectacle, belonging, and the promise of protection.
I think William Golding uses Jack partly to ask an uncomfortable question: How much of civilisation exists because we genuinely believe in its values, and how much exists because the structures around us compel us to behave”
Yuen Halley is quick to defend his character saying he has courage, enormous drive and, strangely enough, a real capacity to understand what people need, however, Yuen Halley acknowledges that the tragedy is what he chooses to do with those qualities.
“I think the challenge of playing Jack is finding a way into his point of view and not judging it. He very much sees the world as hierarchical. He believes himself to be fundamentally better than people who he deems below him. Playing cruelty for the sake of cruelty isn’t particularly interesting. Finding the fear, humiliation and desire underneath it gives you something much more human to work with.”
The novel explores many themes including the concepts of inherent human savagery and morality. For Yuen Halley power, fear, masculinity, tribalism, violence, and our need to belong are particularly pertinent in the play – but the thing he keeps returning to is how fragile consensus can be.
“Civilisation in Lord of the Flies doesn’t disappear overnight. It erodes through a series of choices. Rules become inconvenient. Fear becomes politically useful. Violence becomes acceptable when it’s directed towards the right enemy. Belonging to the group gradually becomes more important than questioning what the group is doing. If that isn’t relevant to a contemporary audience, I don’t know what is.
It’s easy to label Lord of the Flies as a dated text and whilst at times some of the language perhaps is, it continues to be studied and staged because it provides a harrowing mirror to the face of modern civilisation. I don’t know that Golding provides a neat answer about human nature, and I’m glad he doesn’t. We are profoundly complicated, messy and deeply flawed.”
Yuen Halley says of Mitchell Wright’s reimagining that people who love the novel will recognise its DNA immediately.
“The central relationships, power struggles and moral questions that make Lord of the Flies so enduring are very much alive. The script is also the only licensed theatrical script of Lord of the Flies so it’s not the type of adaption where we’ve re-written anything.
What Steven has done isn’t change the work simply for the sake of being different. The reimagining creates another way into Golding’s ideas. This production is bold, theatrical and dangerous. So, I’d say come expecting Lord of the Flies, but this is not merely a staged summary of the book. This is a show that will take you by surprise. Hopefully that’s the exciting part.”
The design for the production draws on an expansive range of influences including punk, electronica and choral music, visual art, reality television, and game design. Artists like Bing Crosby, Iggy Pop, and Henryk Górecki feature alongside the photographic worlds of Alessandra Sanguinetti, Andres Serrano, and Roger Ballen.
Rather than treating Lord of the Flies as a story belonging exclusively to cisgender boys, the production opens its questions about power, belonging and masculinity to a broader range of masculine experiences.
Performed by a diverse ensemble of male, non-binary, and trans performers, the season explores masculinity as something learned, performed, celebrated, resisted, and constantly negotiated.
Yuen Halley hopes the play inspires vigorous and intellectually stimulating conversations within the audience.
“It’s a great feeling leaving a theatre with the need to talk through what you’ve just witnessed. I would always rather a show that evokes opinion and discourse than a show that leaves its audience apathetic.”
Not simply representing a group of characters on stage, the cast have been working together since January, developing the trust, responsiveness and shared physical language required to realise this world for audiences so it is not surprising that Yuen Halley lists “the people” as his favourite part of the rehearsal process.
“This has been the most wonderful room I have has the privilege to be a part of. I have so much love and admiration for every member of the ensemble, crew and creative team. I always believe that what we do is an immense privilege. Challenges that arise are a lot easier to face when you’re with great people. It’s rare to be a part of a cast fully comprised of young men. It’s certainly the first time in my lifetime.
This group and this play have given us the opportunity to confront, embrace and interrogate our masculinity in a very positive space.”
A graduate of WAAPA, Yuen Halley has quickly established himself as a compelling presence across stage and screen. Praised by critics for his “charm”, “touching vulnerability” and “deft versatility”, Yuen Halley’s versatile stage performances span various genres, from classical to contemporary works. As an actor he is drawn to contradiction.
“Human beings are wonderfully hypocritical; at times our hypocrisy is funny, at times frustrating and, at times terrifying. I’m particularly interested in power—who has it, who wants it, and what people do when they feel themselves losing it. I really like to find ways into characters that aren’t necessarily obvious. I believe in fleshing out their life before the events of the play to help create a rich inner life. I had the privilege of playing Henry VI last year. Sure, he’s a king, however he is also a young man who grew up without a father, and I believe that influenced his profound connection to God.
I wouldn’t say there’s any specific archetype that I’m drawn to. At the end of the day, I’m an actor and I want to play every role! I suppose I’m less interested in whether a character is “good” or “bad” than whether I can understand why they believe they’re right and what their wounds are.
Jack certainly gives me plenty to work with on that front.”
In this fresh, highly physical staging of Nigel Williams’ adaptation of Lord of the Flies, award-winning director Steven Mitchell Wright (MEDEA: Out of the Mouths of Babes, Ghosts) leads an ensemble of exceptional performers through a visceral retelling of William Golding’s literary classic.
Says Yuen Halley, “ Lord of the Flies is a story you probably think you know. However, this production will surprise you. It’s visceral, strange, funny, frightening and very alive. Steven and the whole team have created something that honours what makes Golding’s story endure while refusing to treat it like an antiquated museum piece.
Ultimately, it asks questions that we haven’t managed to solve since Golding wrote the novel. So, come along, pick a side—and then see how long you manage to stay on it.”
September 18 – October 2
