THEATRE: Lord of the Flies

There can't be many people who have not been moved after reading William Golding's disturbing novel about schoolboys who turn savage.

The full burning power of Golding's masterpiece is brought to the stage by the Yorkshire-based Pilot Theatre Company.

The story follows eight English schoolboys who are stranded after their plane crashes on a remote desert island.

Without the shackles of parental authority the boys revel in their new-found freedom and start to have their own adventures, including hunting down pigs for food.

But as their childish fears are transformed into a primitive quest for survival, schoolboy games take on a sinister twist as well-behaved boys begin hunting each other.

The cast of eight is fine, with Glyn Morgan as leader Ralph and Neville Hutton as the outsider Piggy both giving convincing performances.

They also make good use of Ali Allen and Marise Rose's ingenious aircraft frame set that twists and turns throughout the play.

The performance bristles with energy that drives the play along, but at times it is just too in-your-face and relentless.

However, the full-blooded approach was obviously popular with the many teenagers in the audience.

Pilot has done well to capture the mood of the novel and the many themes that still have a resonance today. But this is definitely theatre that appeals more to the younger savage.

* West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, until October 21. Phone 0113 213 7700.

RICHARD BRUGGER