Joining the previously announced Laurie Kynaston and Amara Okereke are Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea, Asha Banks, Taylor Bradshaw, Catherine Cusack, Carly-Sophia Davies, Kit Esuruoso, Mark Lockyer, Bella Maclean, Emily Ooi, Joe Pitts, Maia Tamrakar, Stuart Thompson and Zheng Xi Yong.

SPRING AWAKENING 

Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater; Music by Duncan Sheik

Based on the original play by Frank Wedekind 

Directed by Rupert Goold; Choreography: Lynne Page; Design: Miriam Buether

Costume: Nicky Gillibrand; Light: Jack Knowles; Sound Tony Gayle

Orchestration: Duncan Sheik and Simon Hale; Musical Director: Jo Cichonska

Tuesday 7 December 2021 – Saturday 22 January 2022

O, I’m gonna be wounded.
O, I’m gonna be your wound. O, I’m gonna bruise you.
O, you’re gonna be my bruise. 

A time to learn. 

A time to rebel. 

A time to love. 

A time to burn. 

Winner of the Tony and Olivier awards for best musical, Spring Awakening tells a story of adolescent anarchy, set to one of the most loved scores of the 21st century. A group of teenagers – silenced and controlled by a censorious society – discover a new world of feeling and freedom outside the classroom, with beautiful and devastating consequences. 

Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold (Ink, Albion) directs Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s (American Psycho: A New Musical, Almeida Theatre and Broadway) acclaimed musical, based on the ground-breaking and once-banned 19th century play by Frank Wedekind, in its first London revival since the 2009 UK premiere.

ALMEIDA LISTINGS INFORMATION

Tuesday 7 December 2021 – Saturday 22 January 2022

Spring Awakening
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater; Music by Duncan Sheik

Based on the original play by Frank Wedekind 

Performance times:  7:30pm; 2:30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

Tickets:                      From £10.

Box Office                  Online almeida.co.uk

                                    Phone 020 7359 4404

Website                      almeida.co.uk
Twitter                        @AlmeidaTheatre
Facebook                   facebook.com/almeidatheatre
Instagram                   @almeida_theatre

Access                       Captioned performance:

                                    Thursday 13 January 2022 7:30pm

                                    Audio described performance:

                                    Saturday 15 January 2022 2:30pm

Cast biographies: 

Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea plays Hanschen. His theatre credits include Hamlet; Faith, Hope and Charity; Tartuffe (National Theatre); Her Naked Skin (Salisbury Playhouse); and Romeo and Juliet (Exeter Northcott).

Asha Banks plays Thea. She previously appeared at the Almeida in 1984. Her other theatre credits include The Boy in the Dress (RSC); The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole: The Musical (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (West End). She will appear in upcoming film The Magic Flute.

Taylor Bradshaw is in the ensemble. He graduated from the Arts Educational School in 2019. His credits include South Pacific (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre).

Catherine Cusack plays the adult women. Her theatre credits include The Shadow Factory (Nuffield Southampton Theatres); The Seagull (Headlong); Bingo (Young Vic). Her recent television work includes Endeavour. And for film her work includes Finding Neverland.

Carly-Sophia Davies plays Ilse. She recently graduated from LAMDA. Her theatre credits include Pavilion (Theatr Clwyd) and her film work includes Babyteeth and the upcoming The Eternal Daughter.

Kit Esuruoso plays Otto. His theatre credits include Love Letters (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch); West Side Story (Royal Exchange, Manchester) and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (West End). His television work includes Honesty and he is in forthcoming film Lure.

Laurie Kynaston plays Melchior. His theatre credits include The Son (Kiln and West End – winner of Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer) and The Ferryman (Royal Court and West End). His television work includes The Trouble with Maggie Cole and his film credits include How to Build a Girl.

Mark Lockyer plays the adult men. He previously appeared at the Almeida in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. His recent theatre work includes The Suppliant Woman (Young Vic); Othello (English Touring Theatre); The Alchemist (RSC). For film, his work includes London Road.

Bella Maclean plays Martha. This is her professional stage debut.

Amara Okereke plays Wendla. Her theatre credits include The Boy Friend (Menier Chocolate Factory); Oklahoma (Chichester Festival Theatre); Les Misérables (West End – winner of 2018 The Stage Debut Award for Best Actress in a Musical). Her television work includes the forthcoming Red Rose.

Emily Ooi is in the ensemble. This is her professional stage debut.

Joe Pitts plays Georg. This is his professional stage debut.

Maia Tamrakar plays Anna. Her theatre work includes The Lion King (UK tour) and Les Misérables (UK tour).

Stuart Thompson plays Moritz. His theatre credits include A Taste of Honey (West End). His television work includes Unprecedented: Viral.

Zheng Xi Yong plays Ernst. His theatre credits include Piaf (Nottingham Playhouse and Leeds Playhouse); Assassins (Watermill Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse); Miss Saigon (West End).

About the Almeida: 

Since 2013, the Almeida has been led by Artistic Director Rupert Goold. During his tenure, notable productions have included American Psycho: a new musical thriller (transferred to Broadway); Ghosts (transferred to the West End and won three Olivier Awards); Chimerica (transferred to the West End and won five Olivier Awards); 1984 (transferred to West End, Broadway and Australia); King Charles III (transferred to the West End, won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, transferred to Broadway, toured the UK and Sydney, and was adapted for BBC television) and Oresteia (transferred to the West End and won the Olivier Award for Best Director). Recently, there have been West End transfers for Ink directed by Goold (also Broadway), Associate Director Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Summer & Smoke (winner of Best Play Revival and Best Actress at the 2019 Olivier Awards) and Robert Icke’s productions of Hamlet (also screened on the BBC), Mary Stuart and The Doctor (due to transfer to the West End in 2022). The Almeida was named London Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards in both 2015 and 2018. 

The Almeida Theatre is a registered charity and is dependent on the support of individuals, companies, trusts and foundations. The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on our finances, halting income from ticket sales and commercial activity for over a year. We will need to raise more than £2m in the next 12 months to secure the future of the theatre, realise our artistic ambitions and connect with the widest possible audience. 

The Almeida is grateful for the support of Arts Council England and to the government for its Culture Recovery Fund grant. #HereForCulture.