Whether direct or indirect, we all have an understanding of what it is like to experience some kind of dysfunction within a family environment. The production of Next to Normal by Newcastle Theatre Company use this common theme and pulled on the audiences heartstrings.
The vocal strength of the six cast members were complimented by a live band and I found that I related to each character’s individual journey playing out before me. With dramatic and effective use of the lighting designed over a simple set, we were able to easily identify the scene changes and visualize the surroundings of the moment.
I felt empathy for Diane, the mother, as she clearly loses her mind, experiencing hallucinations, receiving a cocktail of drugs and, when they don’t work, undergoes ECT (Electric Compulsive Therapy) forgetting her whole life. It is hard not to hope for the best for her, to see her remember and to hope for her as she fights her way through these tribulations.
The subject of Diane’s hallucinations is her deceased son, Gabriel. The evolution of his character was captivating and in a word, surprising. Initially, the links and the way in which the interactions occur between characters is smooth and does not strike any suspicion over what was to come. Following a song featuring all characters, Gabriel ducks down and hides under a table that is positioned in the middle of the stage puzzling the audience. It is with action that it starts to become clear that Gabriel is not really ‘there’ and that he is nothing more than a memory and a construct of Diane’s tortured imagination. This powerful moment ties together many elements of the storyline as you understand he is in fact “invisible”. This role in my mind would be incredibly challenging but is acted formidably and complimented by surrounding cast members in the way in which they move around and interact with him.
I felt a great deal of pity and sorrow for Dan, the father. Whilst he is coping with his wife changing and parts of her disappearing before his eyes, he is trying to be a father to his daughter and to get by on his own. His miserable state of mind is amplified through the sad songs, and the way he articulates his feelings throughout the performance. A defining moment for his character begins as he argues with Diane, whom walks out on her family. Amidst the argument she says to him that he has never said his son’s name out loud. Following the tear-jerking song, we recognise Dan can see his son standing before him and for the first time in the entire performance we hear him cry out to “Gabriel”, before falling to the ground with heartache and pain. This was a striking moment for me within the performance that I shed a tear over.
Natalie is the daughter trying to get the attention of her parents and make it through school. A defining moment for her occurs during the song, ‘Super Boy and the Invisible Girl’ revealing her anguish as she competes with her dead brother for her parents’ love, affection and conscious attention. As she battles through school she finds Henry, her persistent and somewhat charming love interest, leaving the audience reassured that she was no longer alone and had someone to share her troubles with. Despite this friendship Natalie spirals out of control, losing her mind to alcohol abuse, as her mother receives ECT, and her family continues to fall apart around her, over someone that isn’t there.
This musical was well directed and featured a talented cast, a great live band, an effective lighting show with a simple set, all working to successfully suck me into the telling story line. I felt a strong connection to the characters and walked away affected by all that unfolded before me. A well constructed production by the local Newcastle Theatre Company and look forward to experiencing many more into the future.
Reviewer: Courtney Laura