Review: NEXT TO NORMAL, Donmar Warehouse

When next to normal hit Broadway in 2009 after a heavy rewrite, it shook the industry up. Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s story broke box office records and won three Tony Awards plus a Pulitzer Prize. It follows Diana Goodman’s battle with bipolar and its repercussions on her not-so-picture-perfect family.

It’s a harrowing representation of mental health struggles, the side effects of the medications Diana is prescribed, grief, and the vicious circle of toxic coping mechanisms. It’s a rare kind of musical. One that’s taken way too long to open in London. Artistic Director Michael Longhurst stages a new production helmed by Broadway superstar Caissie Levy.

It’s a heart-shatteringly extraordinary piece of theatre. It has no heroes or villains, just ordinary people trying to survive intense heartache and the alienation of mental illness. As Kitt and Yorkey untangle the knots between pain and rage, empathy and resentment with their hard-hitting tableaux of sorrow, Longhurst’s venue and its intimate auditorium elicit an emotional response whether you want it or not.

Moments of bitter laughter break up the verbalisation of what it feels like to live with a mood disorder. It’s a dark subject to put to music. The balletic, mesmerising dynamics of the family come to life with an astonishingly talented company. Levy brings raw emotion and an incredible vocal control to Diana, who mourns her past self and wrestles with the shortcomings of her parental duties. She is simply breathtaking. Jamie Parker picks up the pieces as her husband Dan, whose crippling stoicism is balanced between forgiveness and delusion as he fights back the same black hole that threatens to swallow him whole.

They’re joined by three young actors with stunning talent. If Levy and Parker are the mast of next to normal’s ship, Jack Wolfe (Gabe), Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Gabe’s sister Natalie), and Jack Ofrecio (Natalie’s boyfriend Henry) are the breeze in its sails. With big voices and strong acting abilities, the future of the business is safe in their hands. Wolfe is a devastating Gabe. He brings the house down effortlessly with “I’m Alive” and stops the show alongside Parker in their moving, brief reconnection at the end.

Worthington-Cox shows quiet anguish as the neglected Natalie, building a steady performance in the subtle changes in her eyes. The look on her face as her mum fails to recognise her is simply heartbreaking. Trevor Dion Nicholas completes the cast as Diana’s collection of medical professionals, who prescribe a number of medications with horrifying side effects and push her towards various treatments and quick fixes. It’s through him that we realise how imperfect the science of mental health and trauma is.

Clever design trickery concocted by Chloe Lamford transforms the scene. Furniture disappears and moves the action across the sleek lines of an upperclass home. Neutral colours and light wood establish the privilege the Goodmans are allowed, and one can’t help but think of how differently the plot would go if they couldn’t afford the American health system. Longhurst uses a revolving stage to add dynamism to the visuals and places the band on the upper level; the actors meander through them to enter and exit frequently, breaking the boundaries of reality and fiction.

If there’s one critique to give to this otherwise perfect production is that there is absolutely no need for the projections used during certain songs. What’s happening underneath the graphics is already engaging enough and we don’t require any further gimmicks to spice things up. The rock score is equally high-energy and introspective, with deep plunges into the psychology of spousal compassion and teenage angst, but also into the unravelling of bereavement and the first tentative steps into romantic love.

It’s a musical of profound emotional intelligence and accuracy. Informed and thought-provoking, it encourages reflection and promotes a healthy dialogue on the matter. It’s a touching, life-size picture of a family who can’t seem to overcome their pain. Too many productions are haphazardly labelled as “a must-see” these days, but this is the real deal.

Next to Normal runs at The Donmar Warehouse until 7 October.

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

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