MUSICAL TALES THAT wag a finger or six at values which keep young blood closeted in ignorance have a danger of warming the cockles of the heart even before the curtain rises. Sylvaine Strike’s adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s establishment-rattling work Spring Awakening which was only first performed some 15 years after it was written, is a no holds barred reflection of life, childhood and the abyss of early modern culture in the face of conservative adults who know not what damage they inflict. If you have plans for tomorrow, ditch them: this is a masterclass in theatre making.

It’s not, however, a completely flawless production. In many respects, the Teutonic texture of the original reflects throughout the piece, initially making the legibility of the characters difficult. The language feels incomprehensible; and you have to work hard to engage the interstices in the story, in spite of the grand narrative and the trembling and forbidden Romeo and Juliet theme between Wendla Bergman (Scarlett Pay) and Melchior Gabor (Dylan Janse van Rensburg) being almost too explicit. The first half features strobes which splinter the impact and it feels like you’re watching a stage adaptation of a story by Hermann Hesse.

Movement is beautiful, however, and in the flavour of Strike’s work, idiosyncratic, whimsical and an unexpected delight which flows into the text with wisdom and complexity. Johnathan Conrad plays the hapless Moritz Stiefel, who has the intelligence and the need, but not the savvy, to be one of the boys. The tale is harsh and direct, and with the addition of the device an almost faceless duet of adults that punctuate its sequences, remains threatening.

The second half of the work is simply extraordinary. Massive and terrifying issues are dealt with, from suicide to unwanted pregnancy and coming out in a heterosexual society with devastating subtlety and the narrow response of cripplingly conservative grownups is thrown into the mix. In so many ways, this second half carries the thrust of the work, which remains dark and indefensible, but immensely important.

But over and above this tale, there are beautiful ballads which filter this work with empathy and allow the characters to swoop into credibility. While the male ensemble performances occasionally are too strong for the soloists to compete vocally, you find your own spine relaxing when the soloists themselves have the stage’s focus. It’s incredible to reflect on the fact that these polished young performers are all students themselves — students of the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy in Cape Town — which attests to Strike’s skill with young practitioners and recalls her extraordinary achievement in Eclipsed, a few years ago.

In short, this work is a must see. It’s a complex and difficult endeavour and an investment of time and energy on the part of the audience as much as the performers, but it’s immensely worthwhile. Not only as a showcase of what this country can promise for the future, by way of the stage-encompassing presence of Spring Awakening’s exceptional lead performers, but also, there’s nothing like a good, well-written meaty musical, with bitter sagas and blood-edged morals.  

• Spring Awakening is directed by Sylvaine Strike and written by based on the book and lyrics by Steven Sater and the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind. Produced by Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander, it features creative input by Niall Griffin (lighting set and costumes), David Classen (sound), Amy Campbell (musical direction), Anna Olivier and Naoline Quinzin (choreography), Duncan Sheik (orchestrations) and is performed by Gemma Bisseker, Killian Blerk, Jude Bunyan, Francis Chouler, Tatum Grace Coleman, Johnathan Conrad, Jayden Dickson, Noa Duckitt, Skye Themeda Goss, Dylan Janse van Rensburg, Ché-Jean Jupp, Gabriella Knight, Jasmine Minter, Tumelo Mogashoa, Hannah Norcott, Nandipa Nyivana, Scarlett Pay, Natalie Robbie, Benjamin Stannard, Tjaart van der Walt and Gerard Van Rooyen, at the Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, Fourways, until 5 May 2024.