Wyndham’s Theatre – until 21 September 2024
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
5*****
Transferring to Wyndham’s Theatre after a sell-out run at the Donmar Warehouse, Next to Normal feels bigger and even better. The cast from the Donmar production return, recreating their incredible onstage chemistry.
On Chloe Lamford’s sleek townhouse set, Dan (Jamie Parker) shelves his own grief and trauma and instead focuses his energy on his wife Diana (Caissie Levy) and “dealing” with her bipolar disorder. Diana’s erratic behaviour is devastating for Dan and their daughter Natalie (Eleanor Worthington-Cox), who feels invisible as Diana can only focus on their son Gabe (Jack Wolfe). The dysfunctional family relationships swirl with grief, obsession, love, guilt and pain – but nobody shares their feelings truthfully, except Diana in cruel but funny bursts.
Trevor Dion Nicholas plays Diana’s various doctors with aplomb, as medication, talk therapy and ECT are all attempted to improve Diana’s mental health. The show’s portrayal of mental illness and treatment should have dated more since its 2009 premiere, but unfortunately most still rings true. The devastating effect of Diana’s condition, and Dan’s denial, is portrayed stunningly by the stellar cast and Brian Yorkey’s scintillating book doesn’t shy away from showing the unpredictable rollercoaster of loving and living with Diana. It is in Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s songs that the characters’ true souls shine through as the emotive rock score soars to incredible heights. The cast’s vocals are pristine. Caissie Levy’s devastating performance as Diana will haunt you, and Jamie Parker will break your heart as his brilliantly frustratingly upbeat Dan delivers THAT line in act 2. The pair portray the co-dependent couple intuitively and expertly. Jack Wolfe is an absolute superstar as Gabe, stalking around the stage and delivering killer vocals in I’m Alive, and Eleanor Worthington-Cox conveys Natalie’s confusion and isolation with a raw and gut-wrenching hopelessness. Jack Ofrecio plays Natalie’s boyfriend Henry with a sweet earnestness as their relationship plays out echoing that of her parents.
This is a musical that grabs your heart with its power and beauty. The stunning cast will break you heart and lines and lyrics will stay with you long after the curtain falls. A truly unmissable show.