Spring Awakening

Southampton University Students Union Theatre Group, Annex Theatre,

As stressful and confusing as adolescence itself, this attempt by adaptors Emily Bradshaw and Danny McNameee to place Wedekind's tragedy of youthful longing in a modern setting, while played with passion and sincerity, does seem to suffer from an uncertain context and other signs of 'too many cooks'.

The show opens with a video making use of childhood photos and snatches of text referring to modern child poverty and other ills, suggesting a dystopian future or present, with most of the characters resident in a 'suburban foster home', apart from Moritz (Ieuan Harrild) who visits and shares their studies, but suffers particularly from exam anxiety, sexual ignorance and a hint of homosexual feelings, which we'd hope would be discussed more openly in this day and age.

Ernst (Aidan Pittman) is especially eloquent in voicing gross fantasies. Most worldly of all is Ilse (Tara Gilmore), who has already left school and become a party girl who consorts with a band of musicians.

None of this rings entirely true, based on genuine experience or even thorough research, but we can believe that the youth of today are just as confused and angst ridden as previous generations.

Ham Quentin