Barry Comprehensive School

The cast of Lord of the Flies

Last week ‘A' level Theatre Studies students at Barry Comprehensive School , performed the play “Lord of the Flies”. Students are often challenged to perform extraordinary plays, displaying raw, natural talent, but never have they been asked to produce a play in less than seven days!

The production ran over two nights and on the first evening it looked like a “work in progress”, as they had intended. By the second performance, they had created believable characters surviving in a frightening place.

A scene from the dark and disturbing production

Working alongside the ‘A' level students were Year 7 pupils, Matthew and Daniel Melbourne. It was their first school production and they did very well indeed, not even stage fright!

Using a mix of visual imagery, symbolism, music and sound effects, the audience were reliant on the actor's performance skills to tell the story. Often dark and disturbing, very brutal and thought provoking, the audience imagined the setting and let their minds wander into the horrors of surviving on a remote island.

The cast were outstanding and all who came to see it were very complimentary. It was an experience not to be forgotten and as they left the hall they asked themselves, “Who would you choose as leader, Ralph or Jack?”

A big thank you to the brilliant actors, Martin Cannon, Gerran Howell, Tom Coborne, Matthew Rose, Jamie Jones, Joey Matthews, Scott Gale, Imogen Actie, Kristine Bleikli, Sam Lakin, Blake Knight and Mr Piekielniak. They all worked hard to achieve so much in such a short time, an obvious indication of a talented group of drama students at Barry Comprehensive School !

Coming up next term, the hugely enjoyable, “Teachers”, by John Godber, to be performed by Year 10 pupils and produced by Drama trainee teachers from UWIC.

Karen Walters
Head of Creative Arts