BWW Interviews: SPRING AWAKENING Director Geordie Brookman

Hit musical Spring Awakening is making its Australian premiere as part of the Sydney Theatre Company's 2010 Main Stage season. The director, Geordie Brookman, was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for BroadwayWorld just weeks out from the show's Sydney opening.

What attracted you to the idea of directing Spring Awakening in Australia?

I’ve always been a big fan of Wedekind’s original play, it’s such a brave and direct piece of work. As soon as I heard Duncan Sheik’s score I knew that he and Steven Sater were coming from the perfect place in their approach to adapting it. So, ultimately a whole combination of things attracted me to the piece, it’s thematic concerns, the chance to work with a great young cast and the chance to tell a very powerful story that has real lasting relevance. I’ve always wanted to create theatre that could make you feel the same way a rock and roll concert does, Spring Awakening does just that.

Have you seen other productions of SA around the world?

No. Once I accepted the job directing the production I tried to avoid any material to do with other productions (in particular the American original) so that my creative process wouldn’t get compromised.

This production has been billed as a ‘non-replica’ production. Why did you choose to make this a non-replica production and how have you aimed to bring a ‘new aesthetic’ to the show?  Were you at all influenced by the non-Replica Hungary version?

I think it is a wonderful opportunity to give the show a strong Australian stamp. I also think it speaks to how confident Steven and Duncan are in the piece they’ve created that they were open to the idea of non replica. My experience is predominantly in text based theatre where I suppose almost all productions would be considered non replica. To be perfectly honest I probably wouldn’t have been that interested in the project if all I was doing was recreating someone else’s work. In regards to creating the aesthetic for the production I‘ve approached it as I would any other musical or play, I haven’t consciously tried to make it new or different, just to find the best and most powerful way to present the material.

In terms of the Hungarian production, I haven’t heard much about it except that they used disco cubes. We aren’t using disco cubes.

SA has attracted a devoted fan base across the world, particularly the Broadway production. Is the Australian response to the show living up to your expectations?

There has been an amazing response, both from fans who know the show through the Broadway cast recording and through people who know of the original play. Most positively they seem genuinely excited about the prospect of it being a brand new production.

Do you plan to tour the show?

We certainly hope to, I think it’s a show that would find a big audience in any part of Australia and we have a great company behind it in Sydney Theatre Company and passionate investors in the form of Power Arts.

SA touches on a lot of controversial topics including rape, abortion, masturbation, suicide and child abuse. As a director did you have any issues in how to portray these on stage and/or fears of the audience reaction? What are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome to bring this work to the stage?

I can’t say I that I did have any issues with any of the content. It’s a very honest view of life and in particular a period of life that every single one of us go through. I think that one of theatre’s jobs is to discuss difficult issues on the stage. When it comes to portraying some of this stuff on stage I just try to be as truthful and direct as possible. Luckily I have a very brave company of performers.

In regards to audience reaction, I think that every single member of the audience will have some connection to the material in the play through personal or social experience so I would hope that despite the fact that we are exploring dark or difficult issues they will engage in them with us.

Teenagers account for a very large percentage of the US production’s fanbase. Is that your target audience here as well and if so, what message do you have for parents who might be wary of their children being exposed to such themes?”

As a director I can’t say I work with a ‘target audience’ in mind. But it is certainly a work that I think holds massive relevance for teenagers. I think part of good parenting is to explore and discuss these sorts of issues with your children (at the appropriate age of course) and seeing them explored onstage can be an extension of that.

Do you see Spring Awakening as portraying a message or as having a key theme/meaning?

I suppose there are a couple of key themes for me within the piece, one relates to the idea that suppression and oppression in any form is a destructive thing. The other is that sadness and melancholy are important parts of life and are not things to be afraid of.

If you were to have your audience come away from Spring Awakening feeling one thing, how would it be?

I hope they come away deeply moved, I hope the show helps to illuminate a couple of tricky parts of life and I hope they go home with any one of the fantastic songs stuck in their head!

The cast is made up predominantly of young ‘unknowns’, was this your deliberate intention?

The only intention going into the auditions was to find the best group we possibly could. I wasn’t making judgements on experience or lack of it. We did hold to a pretty strict age range though.

How did you find the open-audition process? 

I think it was important for this show in particular. To find the number of performers we needed with the skill base that the show demands we needed to look beyond traditional sources. It was eye opening in terms of realising how much amazing young talent is out there in Australia.

You do have the very experienced Helen Dallimore in the cast, how do you find working with her? Has she taken on a somewhat mentor role with the young cast?

Helen’s a dream. Incredibly funny and just a great presence in the rehearsal room. It’s been great for the younger members of the cast to work with both her and Berryn Schwerdt (who is playing all the adult males). They are wonderful sources of knowledge and support.

Any tips for BroadwayWorld.com readers for stars to look out for in the future?

I’d say watch out for everyone of the 15 of them! They surprise me each and every day.

Whilst at the moment I imagine that your focus is largely on SA, do you have any dream shows you would love to direct in the future? How about an actor who you would love the opportunity to work with?

I have a dream list of plays longer than my arm! Some of the writers on the list include Martin Crimp, Chekhov, Dea Loher and anything written by my wife, Nicki Bloom. In terms of people I’d like to work with, I’d love to just go and sit in rehearsals and watch Christoph Marthaler create a work.

Any other comments you wish to add?

Come and have a music theatre experience unlike any other at Spring Awakening!

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Sydney Theatre Company's Spring Awakening4 February - 28 February 2010. Opens 9 February 2010 at 7.30pm

Sydney Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay.

Tickets: $40 to $90 Box Office: 02 9250 1777 www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Music by Duncan Sheik. Based on the original play by Frank Wedekind. Directed by Geordie Brookman (Metro Street, Baghdad Wedding) with choreography by Kate Champion (The Age I'm In, Same Same But Different, Dirty Dancing)

For further information about this production of Spring Awakening visit www.SpringAwakeningInAustralia.com and follow www.twitter.com/SpringAustralia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Photo credit: Brett Boardman

 

 

 

 

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