The BHA has reacted with disappointment to the planned closure of the highly-acclaimed westend musical, Spring Awakening.
Based on Frank Wedekind’s 1890 play of the same name, Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater’s rock musical version won eight Tony Awards in the US (inculding Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Book and Best Score) and has been critically well-received in London. But after a run of less than four months the London production at the Novello Theatre, Alwych, is set to close on May 30th.
Westend musicals have the power to sink into the public consciousness over time, and the message of Spring Awakening the musical is as important today as the original play. It is a rite of passage play that itself could have become a rite of passage. It is a great shame that more people won’t get to see it, especially the teenaged audience it is aimed at.
As in the original play, the rock musical depicts the interrelationships between and within two schools divided by gender in late nineteenth-century Germany. Melchior Gabor is an atheist who challenges the assumption that sex is shameful. Many of his classmates are equally curious and finding it hard to cope navigating a world of new experiences without any positive reference points. The oppressive and closed attitudes of their parents and teachers results in multiple disasters.
“For its message, Spring Awakening can be compared to the novel On Chesil Beach by our Distinguished Supporter Ian McEwan, which also depicts a romance destroyed by a culture of ignorance about sex,” said BHA Director of Education Andrew Copson.
“The production isn’t just an argument for open and honest education about all aspects of sexuality, it’s also a celebration of curiosity and human passion. It’s an expression of why our policy on Sex and Relationships Education is for a statutory curriculum that is honest, unashamed and comprehensive.
“Given that the debate about children’s sex education is still ongoing, and given how often Wedekind’s original play has been censored or banned altogether in the last century, it is very sad that in London audiences are missing their chance.”
Notes
Spring Awakening at the Novello theatre closes on May 30th.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing the interests of the large and growing population of ethically concerned non-religious people living in the UK. It exists to support and represent such people, who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs.