Above- Girls ensemble . Featured- Jessica Rookeward and James Raggatt. Production photography by Tracey Schramm.
Franz Wedekind’s SPRING AWAKENING plunges us into the hormonally and adrenalin charged, highly fraught and tumultuous world of adolescence and makes us wonder how the hell we ever survived it!
Yes it really is all in this play. It’s as if Wedekind wrote the book on it! Teens experimenting with their sexuality….rebelling against straightlaced teachers and parents and the conventional value system.. Wanting everything, all at once…first love…the pressure to succeed academically….peer pressure…suicide…abortion…the whole angst…agony…ecstasy of it all.Multi-award winning thesp Mitchell Butel’s production for the Australian Theatre For Young People goes for the play’s award winning rock musical adaptation- book and lyrics by Steven Sater, and music by Duncan Sheik. It’s an excellent choice- the pace is breakneck, and the score is wonderful with its catchy, powerful songs that always take the narrative forward. Pick of the songs- the soulful Mama Who Bore Me and Don’t Do Sadness, the strident, ballsy, rocky Bitch of Living, Totally Fucked, and the rousing finale The Song Of Purple Summer.
Butel’s staging is excellent- there’s good use of the compact stage, a lot of us of a chorus like effect with the ensemble cast, props are minimal but effective, the band pump away at the back of the stage. There’s fine use of the aisles and wings of the theatre by the cast. Audiences have some fun effects to look forward to at show’s end.
Butel wins good performances from an on-fire cast. The leads are James Raggatt as the headstrong, super smart Melchior, Josh McElroy as his hyper sensitive friend Moritz, and Jessica Rookeward as Melchior’s girlfriend, Wendla. Stand-outs in the supporting cast include Kate Cheel as one of Wendla’s troubled friends Martha, and Alex Malone as another childhood friend, Ilse.
With every main ATYP production there are always some experienced, hands on deck performers to guide the way… In this production Richard Sydenham and Thomasin Litchfield carry this mantle, and do so with great style, nurturing no doubt a lot of confidence in these talented young performers.
There’s great work by the creative team to highlight and complement the action- choreographer Amy Campbell, co-lighting designers Damien Cooper and Ross Graham, designer Simon Greer, and sound designer David Bergman.
Lucy Bermingham lead an impressive band which included lead guitar, bass, drums, violin, cello and keyboards.
Highly recommended, SPRING AWAKENING is playing ATYP Studio 1 until the 14th May. I am going to try and catch it again before it closes. This show really is something to experience!
Highly recommended, SPRING AWAKENING opened at ATYP Studio 1, Hickson Road Walsh Bay on Friday 29th April and is playing until Saturday 14th May. Performance times are Wednesdays to Saturdays at 7pm, Sundays at 5pm, and Wednesdays and Fridays at 11.30am.
Duration 140 mins including one interval.
Bookings- http://atyp.com.au or 02 9270 2400.