By Louise
Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/105
Available until: This cast, the ‘Spring’ cast, will also appear in the performance on Friday 7th May at 7pm. The ‘Summer’ cast will perform on Thursday 8th and Saturday 10th May at 7pm.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual content, sexual violence,
domestic abuse, topics of abortion, death and suicide. There is no age
recommendation, but I am 15 and I would say I’m only just old enough, but I am
quite innocent so maybe it is a 12A. If you are wondering if your child should
watch this musical, or if you’re wondering yourself it might be too upsetting
to be enjoyable, there is a very good synopsis on Wikipedia.
Spring Awakening is a sad and devastating but beautiful story about a group of young people who are growing up. It is based on a German play, Frühlings Erwachen, which was written in 1891 by Frank Wedekind.
The story is obviously over a hundred years old and the costumes and attitudes of the characters suggest the musical hasn’t been updated very much, if at all, but even though the world has changed a lot in some ways, it is very easy to identify with this story. Young people still like each other. They still like to express that in ways adults think they’re too young for and it can lead to the same consequences. Same-sex relationships are much more accepted generally, but not by everybody and the act of coming out can still be very difficult and scary. There are still young people who are abused by their parents and although attitudes to mental health is something else which has changed, not everyone can get the support they need, even now.
Spring Awakening is considered to be a rock musical and I don’t disagree, but Duncan Sheik’s music covers a wide range of rock styles and parts of the music have an almost folky feel to it. The music is very beautiful and emotional. Steven Sater’s book and lyrics focus mainly on the characters of Wendla and Melchoir (which might also be the case in the original play), but all the young people are given their own personalities and their own stories. The stories fit easily into a musical lasting just under two hours (performed in this production without an interval) and it really feels like we get to know and care about the different characters.
This is a student production from the Emil Dale Academy, but it is easily professional standard. Director Jason Marc-Williams has made the production quite physical and explicit, but although watching the performance is a very emotional experience, I did not find it traumatic (but everyone is different so it is possible some people will find it more traumatic than I did). There are some moments that give you a shock, but there are some very tender and loving moments too.
Musical director Tim Whiting leads the 7 piece West End band and he brings out all the melodies, harmonies, chords and modulations beautifully and the balance is perfect. Matthew Ives and his assistant Tonye Scott-Obene have created choreography which has beauty and originality and it is really enjoyable to watch.
Katherine Dodds is brilliant as Wendla. She has a believable innocence, but she is also very passionate and loving. Her singing voice is really full and rich. Charlie Bryant is a confident and virile Melchior, but at the same time, he is a really likeable boy and maybe he is quite innocent too in some ways, even though he knows a lot.
Jake Seabrooke is equally likeable in his heartbreaking performance as Moritz, a boy who struggles academically and socially. Amy Youngson has vulnerability and strength (and an especially amazing singing voice) as Martha, a girl with a terrible home life. Anya Bury hints at sadness inside Ilse’s vivacious exterior, Sophie Ellen Hall is a sweet and giggly Anna, and Alana Wigley is a lovely and gossipy Thea. There’s also a really gorgeous scene from Joe Trevor and Jacob Collis as Hänschen and Ernst.
This is a really great opportunity to see a brilliant
production of a musical which really deserves another West End run.
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