'S NOTE / TA TE RINGATOHU KUPU

This is a unique approach to a Director’s Note. I believe to fully feel the power of this show’s narrative, its best to go in somewhat unaware of the storyline. For this reason, I offer a rather vague collection of notes. And I urge audiences to keep our plot twists under wraps. #NoSpoilers.

I have been a huge fan of Next to Normal since I first saw the original production on Broadway. Winner of three Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize, it is now one of the most highly regarded musicals of the contemporary era.

I have a personal connection to the subject matter and was determined to fully explore the edges of this musical without demonising or glamorising its themes.

The show originated as a 10-minute musical called Feeling Electric, which centred around doctors prescribing ECT (eltroconvulsive therapy) to patients, a common treatment in the mental healthcare system of the USA. It later developed into a full-scale rock musical with a stirring, inspiring and emotional score.

Since the global pandemic we have a more tangible understanding of mental health. By setting this production in the present day with technological advancements such as telehealth, we are able to place our story’s protagonist, Diana, in her home, surrounded by her triggers and trauma.

Our central couple Dan and Diana Goodman met studying architecture, so our extraordinary design creatives Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill have created a Bauhaus style architectural home as if it was designed by the character Dan himself. The practical lighting built into the set helps establish the domestic family. With our band built into the home, Maestro Marrett drives this powerful score from within the heart of our world. Rachel Neser's immersive AV elevates our perspective into Diana's reality. The production is costumed in the incredibly fresh, fashionable and affluent style of Sopheak Seng.

I could not think of a more ideal cast, each embodying and bringing their own inherent energy to their respective characters. Tell your friends, but please, #NoSpoilers.

Hayden