Theatre Classics

By: Frank Wedekind, Alastair Burroughs

Narrated by: Anthony Lewis, Helen Oakleigh, Ben Righton, Ian Fairbairn, Laura James

Length: 1 hr and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

London, 1944. Seemingly far from the war in Europe, two schoolboys find they have much more pressing concerns than the fighting on the front-line.

Melchior rekindles a passionate love affair with an old flame, but beneath his confident, roguish exterior lies a young boy who finds himself out of his depth. What starts as a romantic chapter in their young lives soon takes a violent turn with disastrous consequences that threaten to tear them apart.

For Mortiz however, girls are the last thing he wants to think about. But he cant ignore his natural desires for much longer, especially with the new crowd Melchior introduces him to. And with the expectations of a demanding father on top of the ever-increasing piles of homework, Moritz finds himself struggling to cope with the amounting pressure, and soon becomes to much to bare...

Springs Awakening is a story of youth and innocence, and the awakening we all experience one day. It explores the power of friendship and lust, and the role of society in dealing with these childhood traumas.

THE CAST:
Moritz: Anthony Lewis
Wendla: Helen Oakleigh
Martha: Victoria Broom
Headmaster: Ian Fairbairn
Bergman /Rousseau: Tina Rath
Rentier / Sean: Neil Summeville
Melchoir: Ben Righton
Thea: Laura James
Ernest: Jeremy Tiang
Caines / Sergeant: Keith Ducklin
Will: Mike Sani
Jenkins / Priest: Andrew McDonald

©2009 Fantom Films (P)2009 Fantom Films

Not a translation !!!!

Warning : this is NOT a translation of Wedekind's play but a rather distant adaptation, leaving the bulk of Wedekind's message out. What a disappointment !

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Brilliant Adaptation

I have some interest in the World War periods historically so I was very intrigued to listen to this version of this play. I enjoyed it emensely and recognised the strict teachers from tales my parents told me of their days at school. I am not sure of the reason for changing the period to it works well and I like to see people looking at works and using their imaginations to make books fresh and exciting!

I thought the acting was on the whole very good and I particularly liked the relationship between Melchoir and Wendla, especially as they choose to make the characters their own and not just a copy of previous actors who have played those roles so I will look out for other work with Antony Lewis and Helen Oakleigh as so many other actors these days do not seem to take risks.

My nephew is studying this play at school so I shall certainly be sending a copy his way.

Why did they change it?

Nothing is added to this play by transposing it to war time, and not even the pronounciation of names is kept the same; anglicising everything needlessly.
The acting is fine from some character such as anthony Lewis who does a great job, but the actress playing Wendla is weak, and you simply cannot feel sympathy for her character like you can in the original play.
New monologues are added in for Wendla and Moritz, the latter actually adding something to the play, the former being just pointless.
Despite the start being trully awful, and the acting being mediocre to poor in many cases, the dramatisation does pick up in the final few scenes which is what merits this recording a 2 star review.