THEATRE TIP for GROUPS

Photo: Marc Brenner

It’s very difficult to write a musical and also more expensive than putting a play on, so it has to be a brave writer, an adventurous theatre and even braver producers to mount a new musical theatre piece in the West End.

A number of people say, “Oh, I don’t like musicals.”  But all they have known are the classic musicals of many years ago.  Lovely songs that burst out of mainly romantic comedy theatre pieces.

The modern musical is nothing like these.  They have very modern themes, dealing with emotional moments and contemporary issues which wouldn’t have been attempted in the past. NEXT TO NORMAL***** is a good example of both of these genres.  It is a modern musical (2008) with a mother suffering from bi-polar disease at its core. It covers loss of a child, depression and family conflicts.

At its heart is the relationship between the mother Diana (Caissie Levy) and her son, Gabe (Jack Wolfe). But there are also interesting relationships between the highly strung daughter Natalie and her boyfriend Henry Jack Ofrecio) and obviously between Diana and her husband, (Jamie Parker).

With soaring music (Tom Kitt) and very natural and telling book and lyrics (Brian Yorker), this musical is a masterpiece.

The cast sing superbly and the direction (by Michael Longhurst),with its elegant set, captures the fraught intra-relationship between the family and the medics they come in contact with. There are many humorous moments which are put across with exactly the right light touch.

On at Wyndham’s Theatre, London until 21 September, do take groups who are willing to give a new musical a go!

 By GTO Carlie Newman