Next to Normal

Coming up at The Court Theatre is Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, a ground-breaking contemporary musical. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama and nominated for ten TONY awards (winning three, including Best Original Score), Next to Normal stands out in the musical theatre canon, not only for its virtuosic score but for its layered depiction of mental illness, which is at the centre of this family drama. From a 10-minute workshop sketch called Feeling Electric in 1998, Next to Normal developed into a full-scale, sung-through rock musical, expanding the initial critique of the medical industry into the personal, human narrative, exploring Diana’s experience of bipolar disorder and also its impact on her family. Writing for the New York Times, Ben Brantley described Next to Normal as a “brave, breathtaking musical,” remarking, “It is something much more than a feel-good musical: it is a feel-everything musical”. After setting box office records on Broadway, Next to Normal toured the U.S. and has been performed all over the world and in several different languages.

Next to Normal has been praised for its nuanced depiction and destigmatisation of mental illness. While some of the exact terminology surrounding Diana’s diagnosis has changed since the time of writing, the musical has retained its relevance, and the various treatments Diana receives over the course of the musical are accurate, down to the specific drugs referenced in songs such as My Psychopharmacologist and I. But the beauty of the genre is that it also brings the characters’ internal reality to life. This powerfully resonant musical has surely contributed to today’s greater understanding of mental illness.

The Court’s Next to Normal is directed by Broadway and West-End star Hayden Tee (Ngāti Kahungunu, Takatāpui) with musical direction from Richard Marrett and plays from 17 June–22 July 2023.

For tickets and more, head to courttheatre.org.nz/whats-on/next-to-normal-2