Wish I Were Here... Watching It Again
- May 7
- 3 min read
Updated: May 11
Date- 07/08/2024
Theatre - Wyndham Theatre
Seat-Royal Circle D3
Stars- 5 Stars
TW-family and illness, loss and grief
Next to Normal is about a seemingly normal family with some mental health issues hidden behind its walls, or so they think, but the world has seen Diana freak out in the market. The show is set around Diana Goodman, a mother who has a loving family that she adores in her own way. Dan Goodman, her husband, is the caregiver and also deep down struggling. Their superboy of a son, Gabe, and their daughter, Natalie, who finds Henry to love her despite her flaws. Then you can't forget Dr. Madden or Dr. Fine. The themes of Next to Normal include mental health, grief, family dynamics, and the complexities of suburban life.
The show is set in modern day, so the costumes are everyday clothes, nothing special or extravagant. The props, such as the music box, all hold such a powerful impact on the show that it wouldn't work the same without them. The set is very multifunctional; from being a kitchen in the Goodman house, the band is in the rooms above the stage, the fridge is a doorway, and the counter moves. Everything has a second function.
The cast held each other up through the hard-hitting emotions of the show, as being a cast member doing the show 8 times a week can really be hard on someone's health. So, leaning on each other is how the cast truly supported one another.
The standout role really depends on what you're looking for, so instead of one, I am highlighting three for three different reasons. The first one is for becoming a rockstar and really taking over the stage with a presence that the audience can't ignore. It may just be the way the show's written, but Jack Wolfe took it to another level.
His demand to be noticed in all scenes was perfect for the golden boy. Moving on to the next one from superboy to the invisible girl. Eleanor Worthington-Cox as Natalie was on a rollercoaster of emotions, and every single one had a chance to shine during the whole show. Her emotions in Superboy and the Invisible Girl were heartbreaking. Another emotional performance was by Caissie Levy, as Diana herself, changing emotions without a second thought, going from one state to another. Even as an audience member, I just wanted to let her know it would be okay, but Caissie, every inch of her, was embodied by Diana.
The show is set out so the unknown stays unknown for the amount they want so that the impact is strong when all is revealed. The songs really pull the emotions even more; everything about this show has been set to make the emotions hit whenever. As mentioned at multiple points in this review, the emotions really do affect you. This is a mix of a very powerful cast that had an impactful script and score to work with. I mean, we are now getting a proshot, so I guess I'm not the only one it left a lasting emotion with. Watch the proshot, and if it ever returns to the stage, no hesitations—I will be back. The cleverness doesn't stop at face value if you look for some of the metaphors, like the title, what is normal, and how the family will never be normal, so with their emotional states, next to normal will do. Gabe is grief and trauma put into a person, and that can be dangerous to people around him. The songs, such as with the rock music, show the fear in Diana, along with "I Miss the Mountains," which is sad, slow, and reminiscent of emotions.
The theatres closest tube is leicester square is not step free, the enterance of the theatre has a small step but can be easily accessed with help from staff, who man the doors at entry times. They have a wheelchair users can access Box A at the rear of the Stalls via a side entrance on Charing Cross Road, which includes a platform lift. Their is accessible toilets in the stalls. Even though the theatre did not have a trigger warning list for noises, they found staff who had seen the show to let me know the themes and sudden noises they could remember, They checked on me at the interval to make sure that i didn't need any support.
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