Donmar Warehouse – until 7 October 2023
Reviewed by Ben Jolly
4****
The Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey Pulitzer Prize winning musical, Next to Normal has finally landed in London. After years of speculation, rumours and appearing on countless “Shows that need to transfer to London” wish lists, the theatre Gods have listened and graced us with a brand-new production of this modern classic.
Without giving too much of the plot away (its unravelling layers are pinnacle to the storytelling), we witness a seemingly normal, middle-class nuclear family who also happen to be dealing with the mother’s declining mental health as she plummets further down the rabbit hole of the bipolar disorder that she has been diagnosed with. We grieve with Diana as she journeys her way through the past while clinging on to her life in the present in a highly medicated manner. Add a rocking score and you’re in for just the juxtaposition the doctor ordered… or prescribed.
Broadway and West End alum Caissie Levy has made the trip across the pond yet again, this time to bring life into the role of Diana and bring it she does. With the utmost humanity Levy brings buckets of warmth, maternal instinct, and emotional depth; she always delivers and is not only in total vocal command throughout but is also giving arguably the best performance of her career. That being said, there is room for more. With a character like Diana, we need to see her danger, toxicity, and impulsiveness in order to feel scared for what she might be capable of. While Levy did lean into this, it was a struggle to see this side through the slightly more composed characterisation that we had. There is something there, and I would be very intrigued to see this production further along or in another life to see if this spark has ignited.
Levy is joined by a strong supporting cast to tackle the load of this heavy hitting drama. Jamie Parker is the definition of a generous performer onstage. In a role that relies heavily on the reaction to his wife’s ongoing harrowing episodes he plays doting husband Dan with empathy and strength while portraying a complex study of emotions that are attached to the situation and family dynamics. There was a slight hesitancy to his own musicality at times throughout the performance which again I hope will iron out as the run plays on. Jack Wolfe as teenage son, Gabe gives a haunting performance; there is something other worldly about his physical movement and on stage Wolfe leans into this and uses it to maximum effect. Meanwhile, Trevor Dion Nicholas in the roles of Dr. Madden and Dr. Fine brings a much needed respite to the show in between the dramatic family drama. With humour and flair Nicholas plays with ironic realism as he lists the never-ending medications he is prescribing to numb Diana down to nothing.
This show is direct and packs a hard punch. However, the narrative in both acts had a tendency to meander and while there were some obvious moments in the book that that could allow for light and humour, they seemed to be flattened by the intensity of the performances; some more attention here would have helped the material to become more palatable. Both score and band are the heartbeat of the show, with wonderful orchestrations by Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, who is responsible for the tasty score. A great score like this one deserves some fine lyrics (and vice-versa) which Brian Yorkey as both lyricist and book writer does not fail to deliver.
The set is a painfully realistic modern middle-class style kitchen with the somewhat hidden band on top by designer, Chloe Lamford. With video design by Tal Rosner and lighting by Lee Curran, the mediums are used to highlight the moments when Diana is spiralling or the sporadic surrealist segments which are mirrored in an efficient way. The ultimate effect here however needed to go hard or go home as a mere suggestion of it comes across as neither here nor there. We wouldn’t have missed it but if you’re going there, commit.
Again, without giving too much away, this show ends on a note of hope and how the idea of living next to normal might just be the key to survival for some of us out there. As the show draws to a close we’re given a brief shining moment to reflect on the rollercoaster ride we’ve been on and hope we’ve learnt some lessons along the way.