This take on Goethe’s ‘Werther’ puts the Sturm und Drang pained youth into modern London; a gap-year experience that ultimately leads to suicide. Weltschmerz combined with a first love that ends in disappointment, with the adored married to another man, does not leave much space for a young man who has not yet learned how to work through difficulties, stuck in a world he thinks does not understand him. A quirky take on this timeless story points out the values and problems that move young people through the centuries. Playing on the German accent to illustrate the misunderstanding Werther experiences is a very considered translation of the inner conflict to a foreign world. Disturbing, and mirroring – as it should be.

Zoo Southside, 3-25 Aug (odd days only), 2.00pm.
tw rating 4/5 | [Veronika Kallus]