Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening is a bold choice for an amateur society requiring great care in rehearsal and performance given its exploration of adolescent confusion over, and exploration of, sexuality and identity and the tensions that arise with the authority figures in their lives. This musical by Stephen Sater and Duncan Sheik debuted in 2006 and is based on an 1891 German play and yet is rock folk score gives it a modern feel despite its period setting and feels as relevant today as when it was set. There is a sense that this is a “sexed” up “History Boys” and the portrayal of teenage school kids is equally compelling.

EBOS’s director, musical director and choreographer did an excellent job marshalling a strong young cast in telling the dark, emotional and sexually charged narrative with some outstanding production numbers with fresh dynamic choreography especially in the brilliant numbers “The Bitch of living “ in Act 1 and in “Totally..” in Act 2. The cast executed with precision but also a real sense of joy and fun that showed how successful the creative team had been in producing the show.

As we have come to expect from the EBOS company, the show was extremely well staged with some excellent well-chosen projected images to set the locations and tone for scenes and good-looking period costumes that differentiated the characters age and personalities. This was a big challenge to stage and the creative team have delivered with sensitivity to create a very fine production, full of emotion and tenderness.   

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