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Spring Awakening

 
Hannah Lucy Baker Review by Hannah Lucy Baker 4 Published: 23 Aug 2016 The Edinburgh Academy Show Dates: 16 Aug 2016-21 Aug 2016

Based on the Frank Wedekind play of the same name, the musical Spring Awakening tells the controversial story of a group of young adolescents trying to deal with the tumultuous process of growing up, at a time when parents provided little to no information. This modern rock musical stays true to the language of the time in the script, but couples it with fresh new music, written by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. This musical burst onto broadway back in 2006, to huge success and has since become a popular choice among youth theatre companies.

I am so impressed by this young cast.

The story follows three central characters; Wendla, Melchior and Moritz; who are in the midst of trying to wrestle their way through feelings of attraction to the opposite sex. Endla is patronised by her mother who seeks to keep her innocent, Moritz is haunted by dreams with images of women and Melchior is the knowledgeable atheist, all too willing to share what he has learned. This story has an equally demanding script and score that requires a real maturity and that whilst perfect for a young cast in its subject matter, is a massive musical ask.

Fife Youth Arts musical theatre company are truly an impressive thing to watch, both in their approach to the material but also in their approach to the direction and choreography. Spring Awakening has become a well-known musical and by this measure could be hard to present as fresh. By using Scottish accents, modernising the costumes and making some really original choices with their characterisation, I felt like I was watching something totally new, with the music I already loved. Morgan Wilcox handles the character of Wendla gracefully and delivered a truly haunting rendition of Whispering. Robin Mackenzie also tackled his part with energy and despite not being note-perfect (it's worth remembering, as mentioned above, how challenging this musical is, especially with the falsetto in the male parts) didn't let this get in the way of an otherwise polished performance.

I am so impressed by this young cast and am truly excited to see what the future may hold for them. 

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The Blurb:

The winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Told by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater through 'the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade' (EW.com). Spring Awakening explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion that is both illuminating and unforgettable. It's a celebration of rebellion, sexuality, self-discovery and youth. With a truly memorable score and wonderfully expressive characters, it truly is a show not to be missed!