Abbey Theatre, DublinPreviews until Feb 15 15-20 Opens Feb 16-Mar 13 18-38 01-8787222

At the turn of the 19th century, the German playwright Frank Wedekind caused an outrage with his early play, Spring Awakening (Frülings Erwachen). It had lain locked in a drawer for years; by the time it was finally staged it was variously banned, censored or otherwise reviled. Why was it shocking?

Dealing with frank depictions of adolescent sexuality in a repressive society, it may have offended with more than simply its unflinching and tragic content. Wedekind was not just outspoken; borrowing from naturalism and symbolism to divine the way to expressionism, he also found new ways to speak out.

In a new adaptation of the play, Thomas Kilroy, one of Ireland’s most established dramatists and a true formal innovator, is paired with one of the stage’s most striking young directors, Wayne Jordan. Kilroy transplants the story of desire, discovery and torment to 1950s Ireland, under the thumb of the Church and rife with unspoken abuse.

That may sound like a determined effort to push the button marked “topical” in a country still reeling from a legacy of institutional abuse. But, more encouragingly at a time when religion has been tarnished, Kilroy and Jordan are firm believers in the potential of theatre. The promise of this production is so much more than a prayer.

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Skinners, Teacher’s Club Theatre, Dublin