 Spring Awakening
Aug 17-19 - Greenside @ Riddles Court - Thistle Theatre The winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, told by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater through what Entertainment Weekly called, 'the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade'. Spring Awakening explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with a poignancy and passion that is illuminating and unforgettable. The landmark musical is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock and roll that is exhilarating audiences across the nation like no other musical in years. From the company that bought RENT in 2016. This musical would seem a no-brainer to be performed at the Fringe. The cast from Dynamik Theatre Group show their dynamic talent in this "19th Century German play meets rock opera" musical. "Spring Awakening" is one of those shows that you've either seen before or merely heard whispered about in dark corners. Perhaps you have read headlines about "controversial play not allowed to be performed" in places around the world. There are warnings before you enter the venue, letting the audience know about scenes of a sexual violence, teenage suicide, and partial nudity. This "coming of age" tale certainly contains quite adult themes, but they are all contained in the original 1890s German play of the same name. This show is not just about "controversy" and the exploration of the darker themes of adolescence. The cast showcase their musical talent in a variety of songs that fill the black box theater with their emotion, from plaintive cries about the mysteries of life to the frustrations of adults standing in their way. The musical itself is quite quick, even at its 1 hour 50 minutes (with interval) run time. There is not much time to dwell on each characters' tragic discoveries about growing up in a constricted, controlled community; the songs are short and snappy (though well-performed) as we quickly move on to exploring the next struggle of these teenagers being denied knowledge about the wider world around them. If you haven't seen "Spring Awakening" yet, now is the perfect time to see what the "controversy" and mystery is all about. If you have seen it before, these performers, in all roles, provide the power and music to tell this story. The quick-paced nature of the musical can be frustrating, since further exploration of characters' stories, including some that appear in only a scene or two with what seems like a random injection of tragedy, would be interesting to develop. There is no doubt the audience will have plenty to talk about when they leave the show. 4/5 Book your tickets here - https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/spring-awakening Phillip Gilfus |
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