Initial Casting Announced For Londons SPRING AWAKENING 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert In 2024

All shall know the wonder, this summer. Initial casting for the 15^th Anniversary concert of the original West End production of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-winning musical Spring Awakening has been announced.

Celebrating the original London production’s 15^th anniversary, the concert will reunite many of the original London cast for this one night only celebration on Sunday, June 2nd 2024 at Victoria Palace Theatre. 

Returning cast members from the original West End production include Lucy May Barker as Ilse, Natasha Barnes as Anna, Harry McEntire as Ernst, Hayley Gallivan as Martha, Evelyn Hoskins as Thea, Edward Judg as Otto, Jamie Muscato as Melchior, Jos Slovick as Georg and Charlotte Wakefield as Wendla. Other returning cast members include Chris Barton , Natalie Garner, Mona Goodwin, Gemma O’Duffy, and Richard Southgate. Additional casting to be announced at a later date.

They are joined by the entire returning original London band consisting of Huw Davies (Guitars), Don Richardson (Bass), Matthew Senior (Drums), Vicky Matthews (Cello), Charlie Brown (Violin/Guitar), Rachel Robson (Viola), under the musical direction of Nigel Lilley.

Spring Awakening tells the 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. 

Spring Awakening opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on 10 December 2006 starring Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr. It won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Direction, Book, Score and Featured Actor. It embarked on a North American tour in 2008. The musical then opened in London at the Lyric Hammersmith on 23 January 2009, before transferring to the West End’s Novello Theatre in March that same year. It won 4 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. Spring Awakening was revived on Broadway in 2015 and in London in 2021.

This anniversary concert will also be raising funds on behalf of Imogen Kinchin.

Imogen Kinchin was one of the original producers of Spring Awakening in 2009, guiding the show and its young cast on their journey. Imogen was the Senior Producer at the Lyric Hammersmith for 10 years before joining Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures as Executive Director in 2018. In 2022, Imogen was diagnosed with Stage IV Bowel Cancer. Aside from being one of the most outstanding, creative, inspirational and respected producers in show business, she is a cherished wife, family member and friend. Her cancer is aggressive, yet her resilience is extraordinary, and she remains a positive and hopeful warrior in the face of adversity. A fund, established to support bespoke treatment and her family’s needs as they journey through this cruel disease, has raised over £80,000 to date and is currently being used to pay for immunotherapy that is not available on the NHS. This treatment is only available to Imogen because of the on-going generous donations to this fund.

The company of Spring Awakening have kindly chosen to donate the proceeds from the concert to Imogen’s Fund. Anyone wanting to read more about Imogen’s journey, and to make a donation, can find more information here.

Spring Awakening has direction by Jamie Armitage, musical direction by Nigel Lilley, lighting design & production management by Toby Darvill, sound design by Paul Gatehouse with original UK casting direction by Pippa Ailion.

For more information, click here.