Review: THE NORMAL HEART, National Theatre

A fire is ignited as the ensemble gather silently in an act of remembrance. It then ascends high above the Olivier stage, where it continues to burn for the duration of the play. It conjures a feeling of warmth, comfort, and community, echoed by the in-the-round configuration of the extensive auditorium that somehow soon feels intimate.

It also summons a sense of passion and anger, reflective of writer and activist Ned's (Ben Daniels) increasingly irate demands that he and the gay community of which he is a part of be listened to as they warn the government of the AIDS epidemic. Their outcries fall on deaf ears.

Larry Kramer extracted all the many emotions he experienced during this crisis and used them to write The Normal Heart, which premiered in New York in 1985. It was one of the first plays to address AIDS and the semi-autobiographical aspect adds a weighty depth that feels urgent and organic.

Over three and a half decades later, the play's impact is naturally softer than it once was. There have been a great many works on stage that have examined the epidemic since, as well as the recent acclaimed television series It's A Sin, which introduced a new generation to the horrors of AIDS. We are also living in a time where we're all somewhat desensitised with both world events and theatre itself harder to shock. That said, director Dominic Cooke and his cast capture the spirit of Kramer and the mood of the time in such a way that it feels as devastating as ever.

This is a heavily conversational, wordy play but every line resonates in some way, drawing us further into a world we are grateful not to have been a part of. The fact that we quickly care about the central characters allows any moments that veer towards being too lecture like to work without impeding the pace too much. The two hours and twenty minutes pass surprisingly fast.

The timing of the production undoubtedly adds another layer. Covid cannot be compared to AIDS but we have all found ourselves facing the unknown, confronting our fears and being surrounded by panic. We have been forced to wait for the instructions and advice of a government who have acted too late and made mistakes. The parallels are undeniable, and the production feels all the more powerful for it.

Vicki Mortimer keeps things simple with a stripped down set absent of much in the way of scenery. The words and the subject matter are of chief importance here and they are brought to life by an invested and cohesive cast. Having scene numbers and stage directions spoken aloud reminds us of the reality at the heart of the play.

Heavy themes and highly emotive scenes are alleviated by aptly timed injections of humour. Danny Lee Wynter earns the most laughs, oozing sass with his southern drawl as Tommy. Liz Carr as the persistent and determined Dr Emma Brookner is also gifted great one-liners. The performer commands our undivided attention whenever on stage and imparts a speech so impassioned it prompts a round of applause.

Robert Bowman plays Ned's brother Ben with beautiful nuance, exhibiting an inner conflict between loving his sibling while also wrestling with his own attitudes towards homosexuality. Their final scene together is one of the more poignant.

Richard Cant and Daniel Monks offer sturdy support with Luke Norris also in his usual high form. But the night belongs to Ben Daniels and Dino Fetscher. From their awkward and hilarious first date to their hurried marriage, they showcase excellent chemistry that is instantly believable. Fetscher successfully embodies the straight-talking successful career man who exudes a confident exterior, blending this with vulnerable interior emotions that fight their way to the surface and spill out almost uncontrollably at times.

Daniels delivers a towering performance which will no doubt linger long after you depart the venue. The actor takes us on a relentless journey through almost every emotion possible and it's mesmerising to see him go from the more tender moments with his partner to the fervently enraged but valid tangents he ejects at any given opportunity. The actor also effortlessly infuses comedy, affording the character a rich complexity. It's a remarkable portrayal which elevates an already impressive production.

There are likely to be few dry eyes in the house as the play draws to a painfully inevitable conclusion. That fire still burns - the hope and human spirit it represents refusing to be extinguished as we reflect on the great many men whose light faded far before it should have.

The Normal Heart at The National Theatre until 6 November

Read our interview with actor Dino Fetscher here

Photo credit: Helen Maybanks

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