Spring Awakening

Review by: Paul Towers, 17 August 2016

Spring Awakening by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik

Curve and National Youth Music Theatre production

Curve – 17–20 August 2016

“classy production”

Spring Awakening is based on the original 1891 book of the same name by Frank Wedekind. Set in late 19^th century Germany this musical version by Sater & Sheik had a long and troubled gestation from the late 90’s until it finally burst onto Broadway in 2006 in full Tony-winning form and also won an Olivier in London’s West in 2009.

The show highlights many of the pitfalls of adolescence that are still valid to this day. Along the way it points the finger at a lack of parental instruction leading to unwanted pregnancies and wild misconceptions about the biological workings of teenage bodies.

There are two basic storylines running through the show; Melchior and Wendla’s blossoming romance leading to an unwanted pregnancy and Melchior’s incarceration in a reform school, unaware that he has a child coming with Wendla who dies after a botched abortion. Parallel to this is Melchior’s best friend, Moritz, whose vivid wet dreams are keeping him up all night and impacting on his school work. Failing his exams and feeling rejected by his family Moritz allows his depression to swamp him and shoots himself.

On a more positive note there are also a couple of nice little relationships that develop and blossom almost incidentally.

Once again Curve has teamed up with the National Youth Music Theatre to bring us a hugely talented bunch of young performers in a far from average production. With our very own Nikolai Foster directing, Takis designing and Lee Proud choreographing this was always going to be a classy production.

A quirky, sloped stage is reverse mirrored above by an offset gantry which is used to great effect to give the impression of various roofs and skies. A back wall of graffiti emphasises the impression given by the subliminal background noises of children playing out of social housing.

While the entire cast is spot on especial mention has to be made of  Toby Turpin as Moritz Stiefel and Nathanael Landskroner as Melchior Gabor. Both of these performers are to be watched and will, I guarantee, turn up on a West End stage very soon.

The songs, which invariably move the story along, are not the ‘hard’ rock I was expecting, many of the ballads reminding me of Boy George’s Taboo soundtrack, melodic and poignant. The singing was accompanied by a lively band of six up on the mezzanine of Curve’s Studio, augmented by another six of the onstage actors who also played instruments, a multi-talent that seems to be becoming a requisite in musicals these days.

It is so gratifying to see that there is a wealth of talent emerging from the various drama schools, colleges and universities around the country. Long may it continue

Spring Awakening is on at Curve until Saturday 20^th August
First published on Western Gazette