Next To Normal musical | UK premiere opening night

WhatsOnStage were among the fortunate few in the 251-seat-capacity Donmar Warehouse last night to experience one of the theatrical events of the year as Next to Normal celebrated its official opening.

After the curtain call, we exclusively caught up with the cast and director Michael Longhurst to get the lowdown on the UK premiere's evolution, the musical's fan base and its impact on speaking openly about mental health and mental illness.

The 2008 musical, which has music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, follows a mother struggling with bipolar disorder. It was first seen on Broadway in 2009 and went on to win three Tony Awards, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The cast includes Caissie Levy (Frozen) as Diana Goodman, Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton) as Dr Madden/Dr Fine, Jack Ofrecio (From Here to Eternity) as Henry, Jamie Parker (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as Dan, Jack Wolfe (Shadow and Bone) as Gabe and Eleanor Worthington-Cox (The Secret Life of Bees) as Natalie.

The production features music supervision by Nigel Lilley, design by Chloe Lamford, lighting by Lee Curran, sound design by Tony Gayle, movement and choreography by Ann Yee, video by Tal Rosner, musical direction by Nick Barstow, associate musical direction by Natalie Pound and casting by Anna Cooper.

Next to Normal continues at the Donmar Warehouse until 7 October 2023.