LORD OF THE FLIES to Open at Theatre Works This September

This September, Theatre Works will unleash 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 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. Performances will run 18 September to 2 October 2026.

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.

“I'm drawn to big literary works and I love stories that exist within a closed system or an isolated world,” explains Director Steven Mitchell Wright.

“I don't believe theatre is necessarily a tool for fixing systemic problems or global atrocities, but I do believe that art, beauty, and the act of bringing people together can be life-shifting, hope-affirming and, in cases, life-altering. This work is large-scale. There are a lot of bodies in the space and it's visceral and highly physical. It moves between realistic and poetic, earnest and absurd, literal and abstract, and from something theatrically nostalgic into something deeply contemporary. It's a very sensory production and we're excited to share it with audiences.”

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.

Based in St Kilda, Theatre Works has been home to bold, independent theatre for more than 40 years. They give artists the space, support, and freedom to take risks, and audiences the chance to discover powerful new stories. Each year, they present dozens of productions across their three venues, created in partnership with some of the country's most exciting theatre makers, solidifying their reputation as a vital ecosystem for independent artists.

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