Review: Spring Awakening (UK Tour. 21st May 2011, Exeter Northcott)

Rarely have I ever seen a show where each and every single member of the cast makes as much of an impression individually as well as part of the company as I did yesterday whilst watching the Spring Awakening UK Tour's last night in Exeter.

The young cast gave a near-faultless performance of the show described as "suitable for anyone who is or ever was a teenager", and achieved a heart-wrenching rawness that I haven't seen in a show for a long time. Director Pete Gallagher, producers Phillip Rowntree and David Hutchinson, and casting director Scott Weston of award-winning theatre company Sell A Door have chosen a youthful and relatively (by industry standards) inexperienced cast: many of the stars are almost fresh out of training and without the huge lists of credits you grow to expect on musical playbills. Not that you would guess from watching, of course. The level of talent on that stage was, quite frankly, remarkable, and the youthful cast was a breath of fresh air.

Victoria Serra's debut portrayal of Wendla combines confidence and incredible vocal talent with a subtlety not often found in your typical stage-school graduate to provide the perfect portrayal of curiosity and innocence, giving way to knowledge and experience. Jonathan Eiø, one of the most experienced of the cast, provided a perfect partner for Serra in his role as the worldly-wise Melchior Gabor, his fine vocal performance and versatility making him a perfect choice for the charismatic Melchior. Billy Cullum's Moritz Stiefel was fantastically desperate and gritty (for want of a better word), and had the whole audience in tears. Also of note are Jane Stanton and Robert Eyles, playing all the adult characters in the show with great aptitude and versatility. A huge mention should also go to the Musical Director, Michael Bradley, and the rest of the band, managing Sheik's edgy showtune-come-rock-music with flair and style, building the plot and keeping everything moving.

A fantastic production gripping the audience from the first note, with an extremely promising and talented cast. Learn more about the production here, and follow the progress of the tour on Twitter: @spring_uk