'Lord of the Flies' Comes to the Shilpakala Stage, Performed by Ten Children Aged 7 to 13

The stage adaptation of the world-famous novel "Lord of the Flies" is coming to the theatre, performed entirely by child actors. The play will be staged as the final production of Verse Lab Theatre School's first production-based acting training programme, "Actors Preparation, Batch 01." Ten children aged between 7 and 13 will perform in it.

The play will be staged on Monday (26 October) at 7 pm at the Studio Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Entry is open to the audience, so anyone interested can watch the children's production without restriction.

The play has been prepared through four months of intensive, production-based acting training under the direction of Roki Khan, Artistic Director of Verse Lab Theatre. That long preparation period sets this production apart from an ordinary children's play.

During training, emphasis was placed on the children's acting, voice, physical expression, character building, teamwork and stage discipline. In other words, they practised not just memorising dialogue but nearly every aspect of growing into a stage performer.

Based on British author William Golding's world-renowned novel, "Lord of the Flies" portrays the complex relationships between civilisation, leadership, fear, power and humanity. It is recognised as one of the most discussed works in literary history.

Through the experiences of a group of boys stranded on a deserted island, the play raises questions about human nature, the struggle for power and the fragility of civilisation. Although it is a story about children, its questions are deep and multi-dimensional, giving audiences of all ages much to reflect on.

Presenting such a thoughtful and challenging dramatic work through child performers is one of the production's defining features. Carrying characters and situations difficult for their age is the biggest challenge before them.

The students of the school's first batch will present before the audience the acting skills, team coordination and stage experience they gained over four months of training. In a sense, this staging is also an examination of their four months of learning.

The cast includes Afsara Rehnuma, Nusaiba Farah, Marsiha Mahmud Zaria, Sudipta Zaman, Tarifa Zakaria Moslehuddin, Mahirah Sarwar Manha, Tausia Munim, Taharat Munim, Adrika Debnath Shaini and Afifa Ahsan Affah.

Verse Lab Theatre School works to develop children's and teenagers' creativity, confidence and acting skills through production-based training. In their method, classroom learning concludes with an actual stage production.

"Lord of the Flies" is an important milestone in the first batch's four months of hard work, learning and creative journey. This presentation by the first batch will also set a benchmark for future batches.

On Monday evening at the Shilpakala Academy's Studio Theatre Hall, audiences will see how ten children bring Golding's island story to life through their acting. For children's theatre lovers and theatre workers, it could be one of the week's most attractive events.