Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
George Devine
Translated By
Thomas Osborn
Original Language
German
Dates Performed
Monday 19th April 1965
Main House (Downstairs)
Play Details
Synopsis
A repressive late 19th-century German town, where adolescents grapple with their emerging sexuality and a world that refuses to educate them.
Melchior Gabor, an intellectually curious teenager, finds himself at odds with his repressive society as he and his peers navigate the tumultuous waters of adolescence. His friend Moritz Stiefel struggles with academic pressures and confusing sexual urges, while Wendla Bergmann grapples with her own awakening desires and lack of knowledge about reproduction. As the young characters explore their sexuality and question societal norms, tragedy unfolds, exposing the devastating consequences of ignorance and oppression.
Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening is a bold exploration of teenage sexuality, societal repression, and the consequences of ignorance. Through a series of interconnected vignettes, the play delves into taboo subjects such as abuse, abortion, and suicide, challenging audiences to confront the damaging effects of keeping young people in the dark about their own bodies and desires. The juxtaposition of 19th-century setting with contemporary themes and language (in the musical adaptation) creates a powerful commentary on the timeless struggle between youthful rebellion and authoritarian control.
Cast & Creative
Cast
Bernard Adams
Cast
Jean Anderson
Cast
Andrew Aynsley
Cast
Kenneth Benda
Cast
RIchard Brooke
Cast
Patrick Ellis
Cast
Barry Evans
Cast
John Falconer
Cast
Edwin FInn
Cast
vanessa FOrsyth
Cast
Derek Fowlds
Cast
John Garrie
Cast
Anne Holloway
Cast
Peter Illing
Cast
Sidney Johnson
Cast
Lewis JOnes
Cast
Fletcher Lightfoot
Cast
Julia McCarthy
Cast
Petra Markham
Cast
John H. Moore
Cast
Ambrosine Phillpotts
Cast
Norman Scace
Cast
Colin Spaulk
Cast
Annette Whitley
Cast
Theordore Wilhelm
Translator
Thomas Osborn
Designer
Dacre Punt
Costume
Motley
Sound