Cast announced for premiere of Charlie Josephine’s Flies at Shoreditch Town Hall

Casting has been announced for the premiere of Charlie Josephine’s Flies at Shoreditch Town Hall.

Following the critical success of Josephine’s trail-blazing I, Joan (The Globe), the acclaimed writer will once again disrupt the narrative and challenge convention with their bold new play, inspired by the classic William Golding novel Lord of the Flies.

The production will run at Shoreditch Town Hall from 22 February – 11 March 2023, co-produced and co-commissioned by Boundless Theatre and Shoreditch Town Hall.

Flies will be brought to life by Afriya-Jasmine Nylander, Annabel Gray, Ellie-Rose Amit, Louisa Hamdi, Pearl Adams, Rosa Amos and Willow Traynor, with most of these young actors making their professional debuts in this production.

It is designed by Cat Fuller (The Sweet Science of Bruising, Theatre Royal Bath; Romeo and Juliet, Bristol Old Vic) and directed by Julia Head (Romeo and Juliet, Bristol Old Vic; Massive, Audible; Wild Swimming, FullRogue), who is the Artistic Director of FullRogue, Company Director of YoungSixSix and an Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic.

Flies is an explosive take on the male gaze and how it continues to impact young women. It’s about girls being looked at by boys. It’s about hitting puberty and being smacked by sexism: the power and the shame, the pleasure and the fear that flies around your body when you’re constantly being looked at.

Questioning where they can find joyful and safe spaces that are free from sexual objectification, this electric one-act piece explores how the male gaze permeates the stories we tell and how we tell those stories. Imagining a life free from the patriarchy, Flies dares to envision a truly feminist future for everyone.

Charlie Josephine said: “I’m so excited to be making Flies! The creative team is sick, such clever brains and big, big hearts wrestling with this piece with such care and humour. The young performers are proper brilliant and proper brave. I can’t wait for people to come see this.”

For more information and tickets, visit shoreditchtownhall.com