Mr Glen, Harrodian Head of Drama, was delighted by the hugely positive audience response to Shadows and Tall Trees the ambitious dramatization of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies that was staged in the school theatre on 18th-19th September. ‘I wanted to put on the play before Brexit took place because the material seems so appropriate to the moment that we’re living in,’ he says. 'But it’s challenging and demanding for the company to produce a play like this one. It's serious material which requires a large cast, many of them without very much acting experience, to be on stage throughout.’
Pupil Review
Read a pupil review of this production and see more pictures on the English Blog
Like last year’s staging of Oedipus Rex, Shadows and Tall Trees was jointly produced by Mr Glen and Mr Lineker and the new production shared that production’s dark and brooding character. Staged on the floor of the theatre rather than on its stage in a space surrounded by the audience on three sides, the production had a dark intensity that was heightened by atmospheric lighting, a smoke machine and Mr Lineker’s striking and memorable musical score.
While the book is an all-male affair Mr Glen opted for a gender-blind casting and his 25-strong cast of boys and girls, ranging in age from 9-14 rose to the challenge, tackling Golding’s themes of the nature of good and evil and law and lawlessness with intensity and maturity.
