Review: Teen Spirit, theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall

Noah’s dead. Which is a bit of a bummer for him considering he was only 16 when it happened so hadn’t got to really live a full life. He hadn’t even tried alcohol! But on the plus side, he is in a strange place of limbo and getting to meet so many of his musical heroes as they all wait for whatever comes next. Even Kirk Cobain is there, the title a knowing nod to his most famous work.

But it’s Elijah that Noah is now great friends with. Elijah died before their band made it big, and to them the ultimate insult is that they died at 26, not even getting to join the 27 club, the age at which all the greats died! The whole show is littered with lovely insightful Easter eggs for the music geeks amongst us. It also contains one of the most topical gags you will hear – let’s just say that this performance was about two hours after the announcement of Dolly Parton’s death, and the show did not miss an opportunity to pay homage.

Teen Spirit is one of those little fun shows you will be glad you caught even if it might feel like it’s still only half-finished. Its absolute charm will make you forgive all the issues that will need to ironed out as the show develops. Even in its current slightly messy state, there is just something so appealing in the energy and passion of this young team of creatives, making a show so obviously for an audience of their own age; this is possibly the youngest audience I’ve sat in so far at Edinburgh, and that’s so vital, these are the future audiences we need to keep encouraging back. The energy from the willing audience transfers back onto the stage perfectly.

But let’s not overlook those issues, because they need to be addressed to ensure this show and team can grow. The biggest being its plotting. It’s imbalanced, giant leaps taken without the right stepping stones to stop us falling between the gaps. While you do have to suspend plenty of belief for a show about the afterlife, that doesn’t mean there should be gaps so large Keith Moon could drive his car into it. A good dramaturg would really help in finding a way to connect the dots. For instance, as we reach the final stages, Noah and Elijah are scared that Noah is about to move on to whatever is next and yet there’s nothing to suggest why they should know this, other than everyone suddenly seems to be in a panic. This panic seems to come a lot towards the end, lessening its impact each time as we wonder if this really is the last time or not.

But let’s get back to what there is to love about Teen Spirit. The energy is there, the clever staging with Noah and Elijah performing in front of a curtain, which is drawn back to take us into the real world to meet his brother, someone who is struggling with the grief of losing his younger brother, it’s clever yet effective staging. And did I mention energy?

Yes, ok, maybe once or twice, but seriously, the energy they bring is glorious. As Noah and his brother break into song at the end to celebrate both life and death, it’s just impossible to not to be carried by the delight of both the team and the audience. Faults and all, Teen Spirit is just so much fun.

Written by Tom Onslow

Produced by Blackstar Productions

Teen Spirit has completed its run at EdFringe