Spring Awakening

Mama … this show definitely doesn’t bore!
Spring Awakening actively delves into the depths of the multiple facets of adolescent sexuality including discovery, repression, anxiety, depression, possible rape, teenage pregnancy and homosexuality in early 19th century’s Germany. This is all done to a rock soundtrack which (considering Rock ‘n’ roll didn’t peak until the mid-1950’s) invests this musical with an edge that is both truly surprising and somehow massively appropriate. It succeeds in combining the angst felt by the characters through the hard rebellious sound that made rock a staple of our culture.
The cast embrace this juxtaposition of emotional turmoil, trepidation and “in your face” interpretation with genuine flair and ability. The show opens with excellent vocals and some extremely visual craftsmanship whilst closing on an emotional note that draws the audience to climactic applause. The band is sensational and the direction of the show is creative and effective in all aspects. Unfortunately, the cast seem to struggle to hold their energy through the entire performance, with the dynamics sagging a little towards the middle of the production, and a noticeable loss of emotional connection between those on stage and the audience. However, this is soon resolved as the cast is entirely re-energised during a staggering rendition of Totally F***ed, which is alone worth the ticket price.
This is a must for any musical theatre aficionados and it shows that professional grade Musical Theatre training is alive and well thanks to the hard work of everyone at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

4/5

Chris Kidd