Spring Awakening
The Playhouse Theatre
Thursday, November 2
Inspired by Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, Fruhlings Erwachen, written in the last dying decade of the Victorians, Spring Awakening is a rock opera with lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, that premiered on Broadway in 2006.
I can’t help but think Queen Victoria, that naughty dope-smoking old fiend, prone to rubbing up against rugged manservants and swooning over swarthy attendants — at least if Hollywood movies are to be believed — would thoroughly appreciate this sweaty "whip thrashing" frenzy of a musical about the furtive fumbles of young German students.
While struggling to learn their Latin, the students also struggle with unexpected yearnings of adolescent love and lust.
Quite a lot of "butter churning" takes place; although, given this is a musical that deals with the dangers of ignorance and repressed sexuality, I should perhaps dispense with euphemisms and say a lot of masturbation and, yes, at least one orgasm takes place on stage.
The young students are united in their desire to explore all that love can offer despite the dark admonishments of their elders, who are determined to call a halt to their nocturnal activities, especially on a school night.
Three cheers for the cast of young performers portraying the german students — Lexie Tomlinson (Wendla), Oli Morphew (Martha), Savannah Taylor (Thea), Shannon Burnett (Anna), Destiny Carvell (Ilse), William Larkins (Melchior), Max Beal (Moritz), Jacob Blomfield (Hanschen), Jay Bailey (Ernst), Mason Bouzaid (Georg) and Max McCormick (Otto). There was strong musicality between them.
And three cheers as well for Arlie McCormick and Darrel Read, who had the perhaps thankless task of portraying various disapproving adults trying to hold back the tide of hormonal harmony.
Director Kim Morgan has wisely chosen to keep mise-en-scene as simple as possible to tell the tale without getting in the way of the music.
Musical director Bridget Telfer-Milne and choreographer Olivia Larkins must be applauded for keeping their cast on time and in the spotlight.
Bravo, give me more, faster, harder, stronger and louder please.
But keep the younger ones away if you want to avoid polluting their minds, or at least avoid some confused glances — this musical is R13.
It opened at the Playhouse Theatre in Albany St on Wednesday, and runs until Saturday, November 11.
