Energy and enthusiasm are the main selling points of the Just So Society’s new production of Spring Awakening. Performed in the recently reopened Byre, the space is considerably superior to the Barron for a performance of this nature. The confines of the latter works fantastically for plays of an intense or dramatic nature, but Spring Awakening is not a pared down production. Frankly it was almost a shock to see a performance in a proper theatrical space and the play benefitted enormously from the auditorium that was pretty well filled on opening night.

A musical so emotionally ambitious as this, demands both vocal range and the ability to convey complex emotional depth from its cast. For the most part the cast were successful in pulling this off, though on occasion the cast did seem to divide into being either singers, or actors. This was not the case across the board, with Chris Miller’s Melchior standing out particularly as the would-be reformer. Technical problems did lie at the heart of some issues that were apparent with the singing. Of course, each cast member was entirely capable of holding a tune, but the microphones often failed to account for the differences in each voice. Both Miller and Zachary Stewart, playing Georg, have a more piercing quality to their singing, meaning that the volume of the microphone was often unnecessary, while the mellower voiced in the cast could have benefitted from more technological help, to permit their lyrics to be distinguished above the sound of the orchestra.

The orchestra was fantastic, lending a real sense of cohesion to the performance overall. Also, giving the production a sense of professionalism was the stage-managing; props appeared and disappeared fluidly, scenery changes were smoothly operated, facilitating the actors in building a world around them. Paradoxically, the messier aspects of the production, while showing some amateurish cracks, also allowed the humanity of the play to shine through, giving the emotional scenes real sincerity. The choreography was the only serious misstep. It was simply too ambitious to expect these actors to be able to sing to the standard required while simultaneously performing complex routines. It robbed the production of a professional sheen, and caused the singing to suffer as a result.

Aside from these faults, the night was largely a lot of fun. The solo numbers, as well as the ones with the full cast, were wonderful, with Ruth Kroch’s voice in particular standing out as a real highlight. The devastation and hope of the original story were ably conveyed, and the size of the Byre contributed to the feeling that these characters are just small people in a very big system, struggling to unite expectation with fulfilment. Altogether, it is an unpolished performance that otherwise sparkles with humanity and depth, providing a great evening out.