SPRING AWAKENING
August 1984
 

Cumbernauld News – August 23^rd 1984 “Tough test for Youth Theatre” 1 | 2 | Top

A play about youth performed by youth was the central theme of “Spring Awakening,” staged at Cumbernauld Theatre for two nights.

This was the latest presentation from the hard-working Cumbernauld Youth Theatre who chose Frank Wedekind’s script to entertain audiences.

Questions raised in the run-up to the play doubting whether the content was suitable for a Youth Theatre production, may have crept into the cast and the onlookers. The so-called scenes which could be considered “distasteful” were treated tastefully by a mature group of young people.

What must be asked, however, is whether the script wasn’t TOO demanding.

Several names in the cast list were new and perhaps too much was being asked of them in their first play. With the exception of well-established group members who maintained a high standard, the remainder tended to speak at a pace which lost parts of the dialogue. In such a deeply-involved script, requiring full concentration, key lines became confused and upset the rhythm of the production.

ELABORATE MASKS

The use of elaborate masks for the school professors, while visually excellent, added to the difficulty present in making out the voices.

The selection of a less involved production with fewer demands on a relatively-flesh cast may have led to tem being more comfortable at such an early stage in their acting career.

Under direction of Nigel Warrington the Youth Theatre made a brace attempt at a testing play.

First penned in 1891, “Spring Awakening” examined adolescence with shameless honesty, shocking contemporaries to such a level is was not performed until 1906 – even then severely censored. .

The dilemmas of “growing up” presented a wide theme – religious and parental hypocrisy, sever restraints of education, moral and sexual doubts of adolescence.

Such a topic present an ideal platform for the Youth Theatre to express their own viewpoints which would have been all the more convincing since it was being performed by young people themselves.

Stephen Russell, in the central character as Melchior, handled his part well and can be satisfied with his performance. Craig Brackenridge, the confused Moritz, is also worthy of praise.

Lara Bowen, as Wenda, was wonderfully cast and fitted into the role of the naïve teenager perfectly. Elsewhere there were good performances from Carolling Scott and Sue Clark, while the remainder of the cast cannot be faulted for 100 percent effort.

Hopefully their efforts in future productions with fewer demands will pay bigger dividends.

Cumbernauld News – August 23^rd 1984 “Verging on the vulgar but not all smutty!”   1 | 2 | Top

Critics of Cumbernauld Youth Theatre’s latest show have come under fire from Board chairman Mrs Daphne Kirkpatrick.

She has hit out at people who voiced doubt about the controversial play before the production took the stage last weekend.

As the New went to press, no official complaints against “Spring Awakening” had been received by the theatre’s board of management.

But Nigel Warrington, who directed the Youth Theatre show, admitted that the poster had been “verging on the vulgar – but not at all smutty”

Interested audiences from the New Town and Kilsyth watch “Spring Awakening” and afterwards Mrs Kirkpatrick commented; “It seems to me puerile to be criticising a play which is in fact a very beautiful show.

“To the people who decided to criticise before they even had a chance to see the end result, do they not think that there are more worthy things to take up their attention in this town, such as vandalism and violence in the raw?”

Mrs Kirkpatrick also slammed the Board members who did not view the Youth Theatre productions by Both Cumbernauld and Kilsyth youngsters. “It would be nice if Board member made a point of coming along to encourage the young people of both towns,” she stated.

One member of the theatre board who was present was Mr Donald Masterton. He added: “We have not had on complaint about the poster or the play. I thought it was an excellent show and well done.”

Nigel Warrington said he had “always believed in the play” and continued: “I was very please with it and I think the Youth Theatre appreciated the worth of the play by people’s response.

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