Oxford Castle Unlocked has teamed up with a brand new theatre company to stage Nigel Williams’ brilliant adaptation of Golding’s dog-eat-dog classic, Lord of the Flies. This is the first production by the Eat My Box theatre company (apparently so-called because they not only think outside the box, they actually, er, swallow it). 

The Eat My Boxers were very eager hosts, plying us with free champagne and dishing out stacks of promotional material shrouded in black envelopes and ribbon. They worked hard to engage the audience, inviting us to use cardboard voting cards to decide ‘whose side are you on’? The enthusiasm was encouraging, but the first night gimmicks were in danger of overshadowing the play itself.

Rain meant that the open-air performance was relegated to a smallish room in the castle grounds, but this did little to dampen the gusto of the crew. They used the inside space creatively, and performers clambered in and out of an open window to great effect.

Whopping and stomping, the young cast brought a wonderful energy to the play’s primal scenes. In the play’s quieter moments, performances were solid and thoughtful. Scott Newman’s sensitive handling of Jack teased out the tension between the bad guy and the schoolboy who just wants to be liked. 

The actors brought an appealing boyishness to the production, but also demonstrated a startling maturity when the plot demanded it. Among the highlights was Fen Greatley’s disturbing and poignant portrayal of Simon’s terrifying hallucinations. Calum Roscoe is also to be commended for his interpretation of the intelligent, but vulnerable Piggy.

Despite the champagne reception, the plentiful bumf, and the imposing surroundings of the castle, it was undoubtedly the 10 young and very promising actors who dominated last night’s proceedings. They are all to be congratulated for a powerful, moving and highly professional performance.