Presented by Bare Productions

Review by Hunter King

Sanctuary at Paradise in Augustines

With multiple sold out runs under their belt, Bare Productions have returned to Paradise in Augustine’s with perhaps their most ambitious and rewarding production yet, Next to Normal. Despite the show having been around for nearly two decades, Bare proudly announced their intent to direct the mammoth of a show over a year ago, with auditions taking place in September of last year.

The show largely focuses on a dysfunctional family, and at the head of the table is Diana Goodman (Brikaih Flore) a mentally ill mother, trying desperately to make it through her day by day, but constantly falling into issues that plague not only her mind, but her family dynamic as well. Her two children, Natalie (Kelsey Mackenzie) and Gabe (Zac McGuire) serve as the victims to growing up with a mother who cannot cope with the world, and their father, Dan Goodman (Greg McCafferty-Thomson) is too busy with trying to help their mother to pay them any attention. Additionally Natalie starts exploring young love, with the ultimate stoner Henry Archer (Ollie Hall), and no family is complete without a psychopharmacologist, Dr. Madden (Will Jackson) who handles all of Diana’s medicines and treatments.

While listening to the show it is hard to believe that it is a cast of only six. Each harmony is not only spot on, but well heard, even over the full band playing loudly in the corner. While all six members of the cast had incredible moments, the vocal stand out was certainly Kelsey Mackenzie. Her rendition of “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” could give any rendition of the song a run for their money. Her emotional investment as Natalie only added to her already exquisite vocals, leaving moments of roughness that felt in tune for the character and further showcasing the high notes that nearly blew the roof off of Paradise.

Flore handles one of the hardest roles in musical theatre with ease, finding moments of levity in the darkness that surrounds Diana. Some actors who play this role tend to go overboard with the amount of emotion they pour in each scene; Flore finds moments where the emotion can be muted, and then only pushes harder in the moments where Diana is specifically struggling, making these moments even more powerful for the audience. Her standout moment of the night had to be in “You Don’t Know.” Flore finds a balance that brings a tragic authenticity to Diana, clearly stuck in her own head and wanting only to find happiness again.

Macguire brings a mischievous nature to Gabe, balancing well as the older brother of the family, as well as a darker representation of grief and lost love. He thrives in his big numbers, especially in his duet with McCafferty-Thomson “I am the One Reprise.” While some of Gabe’s (admittedly insanely difficult) notes wavered at moments, especially in the highest bits of “I’m Alive,” Macguire sells it entirely through his acting chops, and physicality of the character. 

McCafferty-Thomson brings a competence to Dan that is not always seen. His intensely capable performance of Dan makes for a dynamic performance that really showcases his descent into mental illness as he tries, and inevitably fails, to hold his family together himself. His song “I’ve Been” holds so much weight and brings a true sense of empathy for the difficulties of being a caretaker, especially when it comes to having to stifle your own emotions for the sake of those around you. When Dan finally confronts his own emotions in the show, his arc feels incredibly earned, and may be the biggest emotional hit of the night. McCafferty-Thomson makes Dan feel relatable and real, which makes it almost more tragic when he eventually shows the consequences of dealing with this much without his own self care.

Luca Davies has a heyday with lights in the show, specifically having moments that are exceptionally interesting in “Wish I were Here” as Diana is administered electroshock therapy. Davies perfectly strikes the balance between a family drama and a rock concert.

Dominic Whitefield-Holbrook and Finlay Turnbull have a complete, distinct, and clever production of Next to Normal on their hands. It is completely unsurprising that the production has earned such universal praise, and Bare have solidified themselves as one of the leading Edinburgh based theatre companies. 

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