This September, Theatre Works unleashes a visceral new production of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Adapted by Nigel Williams and directed by award-winning theatre-maker Steven Mitchell Wright (MEDEA: Out of the Mouths of Babes, Away, Ghosts), this powerful season reimagines one of the twentieth century’s most enduring novels as a gripping, highly physical theatrical event that speaks to our fractured contemporary world.
Following a catastrophic plane crash, a group of boys find themselves stranded on an isolated island, determined to create order from chaos. But as fear, suspicion and the struggle for power begin to eclipse reason, the fragile structures of civilisation collapse with terrifying speed. In Wright’s bold interpretation, Lord of the Flies becomes far more than a survival story—it is an unsettling examination of authority, tribalism, masculinity and the darkness that can emerge when accountability disappears. Urgent, immersive and emotionally charged, the production invites audiences to ask not how civilisation fails, but how easily it can.
Performed by a diverse ensemble of male, non-binary, and trans performers, this latest season from Theatre Works explores masculinity as something learned, performed, celebrated, resisted, and constantly negotiated. Rather than presenting Lord of the Flies again as exclusively the story of cisgender boys, this new lens creates a world examining power, identity and belonging within a much broader range of lived experiences. With a 12-strong ensemble who have been working together since January of this year to build the world, there is also a darkly amusing element offstage of “life imitating art”.
Not just unique in its casting, this latest season by Steven Mitchell Wright also draws on an expansive range of influences including punk, electronica and choral music, visual art, reality television, and game design. With artists as diverse as Bing Crosby, Iggy Pop, and Henryk Górecki alongside the photographic worlds of Alessandra Sanguinetti, Andres Serrano, and Roger Ballen, the production creates a theatrical language that feels both timeless and contemporary. Reality television series including Outlast, Kid Nation and Boys Alone have also informed the work’s exploration of isolation, surveillance, and the fragile social contracts that emerge when established structures disappear.
With tickets now on sale, audiences are invited to experience this thrilling new interpretation of one of literature’s most influential works—an ambitious, visually stunning, and deeply physical production that asks crucial questions about masculinity, community, and the forces that shape who we become.
Running for a limited season, it promises to be yet another stand-out production from the 2026 Theatre Works in-house programming. Not to be missed.
September 18 – October 2
theatreworks.org.au
