Spring Awakening @ Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh
Theatre Paradok's rendition of the hit teen musical Spring Awakening breathes fresh life into the show
As I arrive at Bedlam Theatre, the energy of empowered young voices – excited to see the show, talking about their exams – capture the essence of Spring Awakening’s message of teenage angst and new beginnings. I hear a young person, likely 10 years younger than myself, tell their friend “it’s all about flowers right now,” which feels apt as we transition into spring and a new year.
I am greeted by the wonderful vocals of Hattie Summers (Wendla), who manages to fuse Florence Welch’s tones with Alanis Morrisette’s fiery passion. Summers' performance allows the audience into Wendla’s world of puberty, daring to ask the questions of what it means to be a young woman in this world – and what is real love? As the cast take us on the journey of teenage adolescence, anger and betrayal, we find through their performances of ‘The Bitch of Living’, ‘The Dark I Know Well’ and ‘Touch Me’ that there are young, fragile and frightened children who need answers at the core of this show.
In our uneasy and regressive political climate, the show's conversations around religious oppression and abortion strike a chord – as do uncomfortable experiences of abuse by caregivers and those closest to us. We see queer joy celebrated through Hanschen and Ernst’s love affair, which is greeted with applause from the audience, but the show is stolen by Shaun Hamilton (Moritz) and Gemima Iseka-Bekano (Ilse). Both manage to excel vocally and exemplify raw emotion in their performances; Hamilton as a young man who takes his own life, and Iseka-Bekano as a young woman who is recovering from abuse.
There are interesting design choices, featuring rehearsed performances on a sheet behind the performers conveying a concert feel, and there's an intimate feel to the choreography. At points, the sound quality unfortunately dips, but given the overall energy in the room and the magnetic response from the crowd, I can tell spring is truly here.
Spring Awakening, Theatre Paradok, Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh, run ended