Performing Arts

Spring Radio Play

Lord of the Flies

We are proud to launch our Spring Radio Play, Lord of the Flies; production created by our talented Years 10, 11 and 12 students.

This year, COVID-19 has forced us to go beyond traditional visual theatre and explore an aural world to bring you the production you are about to hear. Though at first daunting, being limited to the medium of sound afforded us great creative liberty and a new approach to the play which I hope you will enjoy.

The process of creating the audio play involved meeting with cast members every Monday and Friday over video call to rehearse several pages at a time and discuss how to approach the scenes. After this, the girls would record their lines throughout the week and send their recordings to sound designer, David Franzke, who edited them together one line at a time to create seamless dialogue. The final step was to incorporate sound design and accompanying visuals.

Due to the sheer number of talented performers at Loreto Toorak, we decided to create two separate casts who have worked together to create two district and gripping performances.

A huge thankyou is in order to our co-collaborator, David Franzke, who is one of Australia’s most experienced composers and sound designers for theatre. His work has spanned 25 years of live theatre, dance and visual art. He is the recipient of four GreenRoom Awards for his work on Night on Bald Mountain, Away, Melancholia and Picnic at Hanging Rock - all produced by the Malthouse Theatre. His work has been performed at the Sydney Opera House, MTC, STC and Edinburgh Festival, to name a few. However, we know him as Dave who never ceases to amaze us with his work and who elevates our theatre at Loreto Toorak so much – all with jokes and good humour along the way.

We must also thank Ms Smith, our amazing Head of Performing Arts who has so enthusiastically taken on this challenge and has certainly been a source of enormous guidance and support to myself and the girls.

Certainly, the story is one which is both violent and raw, but I think that is what made it even more of an attractive play to take on. In these times, cooped up at home, I think it has been a great outlet both for myself and the other girls.

In the midst of a raging war, a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down over a deserted tropical island. The boys come together and initially attempt to establish order and elect a leader. Ralph is elected while Jack takes control of the choir who are decided to be hunters. At first, the boys enjoy their life without adults, but soon, events begin to take a more frightening turn. Ralph and Piggy, turning their minds to rescue, attempt to keep a signal fire burning in hope of attracting a ship, however this soon gets out of hand and marks the beginning of disorder on the island.

Meanwhile, Jack becomes increasingly preoccupied with the act of hunting and leads the hunters in the killing of a pig. Soon, many of the boys are gripped with a strange frenzy and bloodlust, dividing the group into two tribes. Before long, the fear of a beast lurking on the island spreads among the boys after having seen the silhouette of a dead parachutist in the darkness, consequently sparking hysteria.

In search of this beast, Simon encounters the bloody, fly-covered head of the hunted pig and he has a terrible vision, during which it seems that the head – the Lord of the Flies - is speaking to him. Simon suffers an epileptic fit after which he sees the dead parachutist. Understanding then that the beast does not exist externally, but rather within each individual boy, Simon travels to the beach to tell the others what he has seen. But the others are in the midst of a chaotic revelry and murder him with their bare hands. Unable to restore order, the story descends further into savagery with frightening consequences.

ISABELLA CALEO - DRAMA CAPTAIN