Review Roundup: NEXT TO NORMAL Opens In the West End Starring Caissie Levy

The Donmar Warehouse production of the Tony-winning musical Next to Normal celebrated its official opening night on London's West End this week. Read the reviews!

The cast of Next to Normal includes Caissie Levy, Jamie Parker, Jack Wolfe, Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Trevor Dion Nicholas, and Jack Ofrecio.

Next To Normal is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief. At its heart is Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past. Outgoing Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst directs this powerful rock musical.

Next To Normal’s creative team is led by Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning composer Tom Kitt and Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning writer Brian Yorkey.

Let's see what the critics are syaing!

Abby Grundy, BroadwayWorld: If not already obvious, every performer on stage gives a strong performance. With a cult following and complex subject matter, it's a difficult musical to bring to the stage, but they do it with grace and ease, aided by direction from Michael Longhurst. The cast is as strong vocally as they are within their acting, giving justice to the punchy score.

Olivia Rook, London Theatre: They are the same cast that premiered the musical at The Donmar Warehouse in 2023, in a production by director Michael Longhurst, and it is clear that their bond has only strengthened since then, which is crucial for a show that interrogates such heavy themes. Indeed, from the opening number, there are already signs of Diana’s mania, and by the second, she is assembling stacks of sandwiches across the stage floor at breakneck speed, throwing around slices of cheese and ham.

Lloyd Evans, The Spectator: The creative elements here are impossible to enthuse about: lightweight characters, flimsy music, forgettable costumes. The house they occupy looks like a student flat designed by a bored computer. And yet, the crowd loved it.

Jonathan Marshall, The Upcoming: The subject matter is of course not for everyone, and some are sure to be triggered, but with one in four of us experiencing some form of mental health problem every year, it is only right that such a production is afforded a platform of this scale. Some might long for a little more subtext and others might suggest the musical is a tad too long. Act One feels tighter whereas Act Two at times lingers. The climax makes up for this with Light. The closing number is optimistic while refusing to shy away from the darkness; it encapsulates this timely and unique musical.

Alex Wood, WhatsOnStage: On the larger canvas, director Michael Longhurst allows the weight of betrayal, the exultation of connection and the soaring jubilation of familial happiness to bump into the top of the rafters. The material itself still has shortcomings – its treatment of mental illness feels more slapdash and non-specific than it needs to be (highlighting the musical is already showing its age against the backdrop of a fast-paced subject matter). Even so, it may have been marvellous at the Donmar, but it’s a must-see now.

Stuart King, LondonBoxOffice: The cast’s energy and talent is showcased and driven by an accomplished modern score, delivered by a 6-piece band who occupy 3 distinct panels above the main playing area. Final mention must go to the sleek, stylish and technically effective set design delivered by Chloe Lamford, redolent of her previous work, most notably her impressive Phaedra at the National Theatre Lyttelton last year.

Jon Harris, Box OfficeRadio: Next to Normal will have you reaching for the tissues to wipe away the tears, so make sure you have plenty. You will need them. This is an emotional roller coaster on an epic scale that is not to be missed. This show was reviewed on Tuesday 25th June 2024 at the Wyndham’s Theatre, London where it runs until 21st September.

Sam Marlowe, The Stage: This harrowing, tough-minded musical about mental illness, trauma, love and family is a genuinely courageous attempt to expand the form. Written by Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), it was a multi-award-winning Broadway hit in 2009; now Michael Longhurst’s British premiere production, first seen at the Donmar last summer, triumphantly transfers to the West End. Maybe some details of the staging don’t register with quite the same impact in a less intimate venue. But the show still rips out your heart and hands it back to you, bruised but overflowing. The cast of six is superlative, and Caissie Levy, returning in the lead role of Diana Goodman, is phenomenal, her every moment meticulously calibrated and freighted with delicately observed emotion, and her vocals frankly jaw-dropping.

Greg Stewart, Theatre Weekly: This West End transfer of Next to Normal proves that the show’s power to move and enlighten audiences has not diminished. It remains a landmark piece of musical theatre, combining raw emotion with musical excellence. For those who missed it at the Donmar, this limited West End run is an unmissable opportunity to experience a truly exceptional production that pushes the boundaries of what musical theatre can achieve.

Joanna Magill, RadioTimes: In short, no matter your own backgrounds or experiences with mental health or grief, this story of an emotionally fraught family on the precipice of danger and longing for something normal (or even just Next to Normal) is sure to deliver an emotional gut punch.

Tom Wicker, TimeOut: Where this show unambiguously succeeds is in its sympathetic but clear-sighted depiction of a family buckling under buried grief and an impossible present. Brian Yorkey’s book presents us with clearly-drawn portraits of how people respond differently to trauma. There’s a deftly handled and meaty exploration of how little Western society is prepared to truly face loss, our unwillingness to let go of relationships and the risk of unaddressed, harmful patterns of behaviour becoming a family legacy. As Kitt’s attention-grabbing score and Yorkey’s lyrics wheel through differing genres, we get an aural sense of the characters’ messy kaleidoscope of feelings. Longhurst also sharpens the show’s welcome black humour in its bleakest moments with his vivid staging.

Average Rating: 90.0%

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