Review: Mental Illness And Grief Are Given The Spotlight In NEXT TO NORMAL

Saturday 11th September 2018, 7:30pm, The Performance Space, St Aidan's Longueville

Lane Cove Theatre Company takes on Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics) and Tom Kitt's (music) NEXT TO NORMAL, a rock musical about mental health and grief. Kathryn Thomas reinterprets the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning story for the community theatre stage to delivery a generally strong expression of challenging subjects.

Thomas's set design presents a stylized expression of a suburban American home in which most of the story takes place. She blends naturalistic scenes of a kitchen table with assorted chairs and an armchair with abstract expression in the form of unusual use of found objects and black mobile boxes to substitute as miscellaneous furniture. Given the plot is designed to span across multiple levels of the Goodman family home, stairs lead up to stage left to imply movement between the floors of the home and provide vertical variety however the requirement for some scenes to play out on the floor proves difficult to see with the venue's layout. A small band, led by musical director Steve Dula is positioned to the right of the audience so it is recommended to try for a seat to the centre or left of the space to ensure a balance of sound.

NEXT TO NORMAL is a complex work both musically and emotionally and requires performers who can sustain the rock feel of Kitt's music whilst still having the musical theatre sensibilities to ensure that Yorkey's text is clear. The central role of Diana, the mother and wife dealing with bipolar disorder and an unresolved grief, includes some big emotional songs with broad ranges musically. Whilst Miriam Rihani captures the troubled housewife's emotional rollercoaster and her expression of I Miss The Mountains is generally solid, there were signs of vocal fatigue later on in the performance.

Long suffering husband Dan is presented with better consistency by Trent Gardiner who captures the stoic man trying to hold his family together whilst also presenting clear strong vocals that ensure the musicality is perfect and the lyrics are heard. Similarly Chelsea Taylor delivers an honest expression of daughter Natalie, capturing the stressed and cynical teen with a realism whilst ensuring her vocals deliver a consistent American accent infused with the overachieving student's attitude. The night reviewed had significant sound tech issues which resulted in much of Christopher O'Shea's vocals as Gabe being lost beneath the band. Additional issues came from interferrance with the body microphones utilized for the production.

Filling the peripheral characters Brent Dolahenty and Luka Bozic present Diana's doctors, including Doctor Madden, and Natalie's boyfriend Henry. Dolahenty ensures that Doctor Madden is seen a smooth and 'cool' inkeeping with Diana's hallucinations that he is a 'scary rock god'. Bozic presents the artistic stoner musician who falls for Natalie with an innocence and naiveite whilst also portraying him as somewhat nerdy and reclusive.

Whilst this production comes a decade after the original Off-Broadway production premiered in 2008, the increased awareness of Mental health issues ensures that it is still relevant. Provided the technical issues are addressed and the performers manage vocal rest this production is a good expression of the challenging material.

NEXT TO NORMAL

The Performance Space at St Aidan's, Longueville

20 August - 25 August 2018

http://www.lanecovetheatrecompany.com/