“ ‘Next to Normal’ doesn’t offer a pat solution, and it leaves some bracing lines hanging...But with greater understanding from us all, nurtured by shows like this, there is hope for healing.”
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“It’s a musical of profound emotional intelligence and accuracy. Informed and thought-provoking, it encourages reflection and promotes a healthy dialogue on the matter...Too many productions are haphazardly labelled as “a must-see” these days, but this is the real deal.”
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“Wonderfully sung and staged, this show detailing the effects of grief and mental illness on an ordinary American family”
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“If you like extremely sincere, extremely angsty modern American musicals then… you almost certainly already have a ticket, and I very much doubt you’ll regret it...But there’s no denying the fact that as a boutique musical theatre experience, this is pretty special. As art, it’s problematic; as entertainment, it’s first-rate.”
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“ ‘Next to Normal’ isn’t a bad show by any means. It just doesn’t live up to the claims admirers have made for it.”
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“One of the most impressive things about ’Next to Normal’ is the way that it considers mental health with deep seriousness, suggesting how little medical science knows, how much treatment is trial and effort, and how the person being “helped” might actually feel that the price of what seems like a cure is simply too high...All in all, it’s an impressive piece of theatre.”
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“Directed by Michael Longhurst, this long-expected UK premiere handles the musical’s heavy content with a lightness of touch that sometimes makes the show feel entirely sanitised.”
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“This small cast brings so much full-throated passion to a score that delivers belting ballad after belting ballad. It’s hard not to get swept up in it all. But all this musical-theatre earnestness doesn’t ultimately feel like the best way to explore the painful, complex themes here, however powerful a drug it might be.”
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