An awakening for St Andrews theatre

Emma O’Brien on Just So’s latest production of Spring Awakening at the Byre Theatre

As I sit here, listening to the original Broadway Cast recording of Spring Awakening, the talent of the students of St Andrews really hits you. Having just sat through Just So’s own production at the Byre Theatre I couldn’t wait to get home and compare the two. And you know what? Broadway can keep its Lea Michele’s and Jonathan Groff’s (as much as that pains the ‘Gleek’ in me to say) because St Andrews definitely has some burgeoning talent to offer for your theatrical entertainment.

When it comes to this musical, I’m somewhat biased. I love it. Every single profanity, every single innuendo and every single bit of teen angst, it can all do no wrong for me.

To show my more subjective side however, I can admit that I was a little apprehensive that Just So wouldn’t be able to do quite as much as was needed to pull this off, not just in comparison to the Broadway production, but also compared to the excellent production I saw at this summer’s Fringe. In all fairness, I perhaps wasn’t as blown away by some of the numbers in Just So’s production as I had been in the summer but that was probably because the production was going for something subtler than the ‘kick you in the teeth’ brashness of the Fringe version.

Overall, Just So did an admirable job, especially in terms of casting. As I said, this group could easily take on the might of the Broadway cast, with special praise reserved for Vicki Robertson (Wendla) and Tessa Stokes who were flawless throughout.

The set was also very impressive and professional and added a subtle sinister vibe from the very beginning, even before the hard hitting issues of abuse, teen suicide, and backstreet abortion begin to reveal themselves.

Spring Awakening was a brave choice of musical to put on, but Just So are no strangers to controversy after the protests of Jerry Springer the Musical. And I think I speak for a large proportion of the female population when I proclaim that more men in St Andrews should be prepared to get their bare backsides out on stage…