Spring Awakening

Unnerving, entertaining, funny and dark, Wedekind’s definitive play about youth caused riots when it exploded onto the stage in 1906 and has lost none of its provocative power.

Brought bang up to date by award-winning young playwright Anya Reiss and director Ben Kidd, this new version examines the exuberance, intensity and confusion of teenage life today. Spring Awakening asks important and pressing questions about how young people are shaped for their future by a generation that doesn’t understand them.

In a world where all communication is augmented and added to by the internet, we tried to find ways of showing this onstage without laborious people-typing-in-facebook projections. This led us to stylised filmed sequences of the characters in the local parks, suicides conducted as online movies, and a live camera feed direct from iPhone.

“Kidd’s direction is full of energy, with in-your-face lighting and sound and inspired use of Ian William Galloway’s videos.” – WhatsOnStage

We worked closely with the director, cast and movement director to create projected sequences that appeared to sync exactly with the actions of the phone movement on-stage and used numerous ways of accessing camera feeds from prop devices.

“Headlong also makes use of live video and projections, which breathe yet more life into the narrative and pushes the thoughts, emotions and feelings of the characters right to the forefront of the production, while also adding a unique and engrossing design aesthetic.” – A Younger Theatre

Client:
Headlong

Location:
Courtyard Theatre, Leeds, 2014

Services:
Video & Projection Design
Content Creation

Team:
Video Designer: Ian William Galloway
Video Programmer: Leo Flint
Camera Assistant: Bella Riza
Video Operator: Ben Walden

Production Credits:
Director: Ben Kidd
Set & Costume Designer: Colin Richmond
Lighting Designer: Malcolm Rippeth
Sound Designer: George Dennis

Photos:
© IWG / Mesmer