Review: Woyzeck

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Woyzeck.
Due it being a very busy week for me with revising for my Summer exams, I had done little to no research on Woyzeck before seeing it, which is somewhat rare for me. Being the huge Star Wars geek I am, I was really keen to see this due to its lead star, John Boyega (John played a lead role in the most recent Star Wars film: The Force Awakens). Woyzeck was extremely unique and quite different. It was not what I was expecting, but it was good nevertheless. Woyzeck deals with the dehumanising effects of doctors and the military on a young man's life. It's a very important issue, which was heartbreaking and moving to witness. It is excellently written and well structured. All cast members were remarkable, with the stand-outs being John Boyega as Woyzeck, Sarah Greene as Marie and Ben Batt as Andrews. What struck me the most with John Boyega's performance was that he showed a wide diversity of acting abilities throughout the play. Woyzeck begins as a funny, loving and caring boyfriend and father, but by the end of the play he becomes a psychotic, disturbed and controlling individual. Sarah Greene was definitely on a par with John and she also gave an absolutely phenomenal performance. She was perfectly cast. Adding to this, Ben Batt also gave an exceptional performance, especially in his final scene where his character unexpectedly turns violent. The lighting and sound design have an extremely large impact on the show; I actually don't think it would have had the same effect without these two elements. They were both very powerful and extremely well designed. A warning to those that have an interest in seeing this play is that it has some heavy nudity, sex and vulgar language. I wasn't expecting it, so it came as a little bit of a shock. I feel perhaps the nudity, sex and vulgar language were overdone a little bit, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the show. The set design was a bit of an odd one and it left me wondering as to what was the point of it. Considering the light and sound design were both phenomenal, I definitely think that more effort could have gone into the set.

The featured star of Woyzeck is, drum roll please... JOHN BOYEGA!

The role of Woyzeck is extremely demanding and it's amazing to think that John pulls it off 18 times a week. The role seems absolutely perfect for him and he nailed it! I hope he considers doing more theatre in the future.

Now for my final verdict on Woyzeck. I give Woyzeck...

As I mentioned, this is a really unique production; I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. It's one I would most likely recommend; however the themes may be a little off-putting for some.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer