Spring Awakening, Phoenix Arts Club Review

Written by Mia for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

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There are a lot of coming-of-age musicals and they all seem to focus on similar issues: identity, suicide, young love and betrayal. This often means that they are indistinguishable from each other. Spring Awakening however, is based on a late 19th century play, which gives it an edge… except that of course - more than 100 years later - the same adolescent issues remain.

This amateur production from Taylor Jay Productions aims to give current students and those early on in their career the chance to experience the full process of auditioning, rehearsing and performing in central London, also enabling those wishing to pursue a backstage career a chance to shadow professionals. 

And what a great choice of musical!

Perhaps because I didn’t have much background on the story, the opening confused me a bit especially as Duncan Sheik’s modern music jars with Steven Sater’s traditional story. However, the music really is excellent and once you relax into the conflicting elements, it’s mesmerising, and Act II feels more balanced.

That said, the story itself lacks flow between scenes, so it feels clunky. It also doesn’t help that most characters are not clearly defined via the script, making it hard to follow, especially the adult roles which are played by just two actors.

Ryan Webster’s set and costumes are simple but effective, and the symbolic change into modern dress for the finale works really well. It’s a shame not everyone managed to switch outfits as this would have been an excellent way to show that these issues remain prevalent in modern society.

Tara Noonan’s direction makes good use of a small space, bringing the action off the main stage and through the centre. This also allows Meadhbh Lyons’ choreography to shine as all cast members move really well. Due to the layout, it’s quite hard to see parts of the show, but this doesn’t really detract from the performances, which are generally very good.

Olivia Mae Ward (Wendla) is definitely one to watch; she has an excellent stage presence and a beautiful voice. Her chemistry with Elliot Butler (Melchior) feels believable and some of their scenes together are quite distressing, which shows the strength of their acting. Noa Shakhar (Adult Woman), Charlotte Webb (Thea) and Ailbhe Cooke (Martha) are also strong performers, and there are many other talented young people in this production. 

There is room for improvement, with a few needing to work on their diction and projection, to avoid shouting instead of singing, when they wish to portray emotion. No doubt all of these performers and crew members will go far, and it’s a pleasure to see them so early on in their careers.

At Phoenix Arts Club until 25th August 2024.

 ★ ★ ★