An Islington schoolboy beat off competition from hundreds of budding dancers to perform alongside professionals in Matthew Bourne’s Lord of the Flies production this week.

Jared Irving, 10, took to the stage at Sadler’s Wells in Rosebery Avenue, Finsbury, with 21 other young performers chosen for theatre’s four day run of the show based on William Golding’s iconic dystopian novel about a group of schoolboys abandoned on a desert island.

Sadler’s Wells worked with 900 boys and young men in primary and secondary schools, colleges, youth groups and community organisations across London between May and July.

Some 130 workshop participants were shortlisted before 22 budding dancers aged 10 to 23 were selected to be part of the show by Bourne’s dance company New Adventures.

Jared said: “I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and learning new dances. I like the movement we do and also making new friends. I’ve never been in a production before so I am really enjoying it.”

Fiona Ross, Sadler’s Wells’ director of community and engagement says: “The cast is diverse in every way – from age and background to dance training and experience. Each one of these young dancers has been on a real journey to reach this stage; we saw some of them five times throughout the recruitment process which for us sums up their commitment and dedication to this project.”

Read a review of Lord of the Flies at Sadler’s Wells here