In the original manuscript of the novel "Lord of the Flies," a very substantial literary creation of British novelist William Golding, the setting is a fictitious uninhabited island.
The story is about young boys and girls who were thrown to an island when their plane crashed.
The novel has been translated into my forms, from all around the world, one of them, in cinema.
In the Philippines, it was made into a movie by NV Productions, a film outfit by now National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor.
The film's title was "Alkitrang Dugo" which featured Eddie Villamayor, Ricky Sandico, Jingle, Margie Braza, Efren Montes etc. under the direction of Lupita A. Concio, the director of Nora's now iconic nationalist film "Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo."
Still in the Philippines, "Lord of the Flies" is being mounted onstage in Filipino—thus "Bangaw" to be staged by the FEU Theater Guild on March 5, 2026 at the FEU Auditorium.
Layered with original music by Gold Villar-Lim, with two additional songs by Dudz Teraña, “Bangaw” blends symbolic movement and raw emotional expression with rhythmic, realistic storytelling. Traditional and modern Filipino soundscapes pulse throughout the production, serving as both atmosphere and metaphor for a nation caught between collapse and renewal. Beyond performance, the work confronts pressing societal concerns—division, abuse of power, systemic failure, moral decay, and patriarchy—while foregrounding enduring Filipino values such as bayanihan, resilience, and strategic intelligence, resulting in a multi-layered theatrical experience that challenges perspectives, provokes dialogue, and invites audiences to reflect on the kind of future being shaped today.
Set on a remote island in Visayas, “Bangaw” follows a group of high school students from different schools who end up stranded after a plane crash. With no adults, no government, and no rules, their attempt to reconstruct order quickly unravels. What begins as a mission of survival is disrupted by a growing fascination with hunting and the belief that a monster lurks in the forest. The group fractures further after a boar is killed and its head transformed into an idol—the Lord of the Flies. A hallucination is mistaken as proof of the monster’s existence, sparking a killing frenzy that claims two lives and brings their fragile civilization to brutal collapse.
At the center of “Bangaw” is Raf (Sam Siasoyco IAS ‘29), whose attempt to uphold order becomes a fragile anchor amid growing unrest. Opposing him is Jack (Aldin Covarrubias ITHM ‘28, Dave Bambang IARFA ‘29), whose descent into dominance and violence drives the group apart.
Caught between reason and survival are the twins Sam (Dianne Andallo ITHM ‘26, Trisha Nilayan IAS ‘29) and Erich (Maria Ysabel delos Reyes IAS ‘27, Althea Sibulo FIT ‘27), while Simone (Heleina Li IAS ‘26, Julia Nicole Ramas FIT ‘26) emerges as a quiet moral compass. Adding complexity is Tabeks (Jharelle Villalobos IAS ‘27, Edrud Madalan FIT ‘27), who challenges rigid hierarchies, while the younger children—Tiny (Marjorie Uson IAS ‘27, Francine Galvez IAS ‘28), Matty (Melenne Hokase IAS ‘28, Margarita Barrameda IAS ‘26), and Caleb (Julian Rafael Anabo IAS ‘27, Lorenze Moral IAS ‘26)—align with Raf, embodying innocence and vulnerability amid chaos.
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