Next to Normal

Hallirackit Theatre bring the rock musical Next to Normal to The Lemon Tree on Saturday 17 October. It's an amateur production of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning show, with a book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and a score by Tom Kitt. The story follows an American family whose life is upended by the mother's battle with manic depression over eighteen years, and it reaches beyond grief and mental illness into addiction and relationships.

Fee Crichton takes on the role of Diana Goodman, with Kenneth Lypka as Dan, Erin Grant as Natalie, Alex Donnelly as Gabe, Finlay Keir as Henry and Dan Greavey as the Doctor. Hannah Cook directed and produced the show, with Mikey Innes as musical director, Ethan Lumsden as assistant musical director and Sarah Smith as movement director. It's staged under licence from Music Theatre International.

This is Hallirackit's latest production following Wellbeing by Wilford Wellman at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe and tick, tick... BOOM! in 2025, both of which they staged here in Aberdeen. The show runs at The Lemon Tree, which opened in 1992 as the home of Aberdeen's Alternative Festival and still programmes cutting-edge music, theatre, comedy and dance across its 550-capacity Lounge and 166-seat Studio.

It starts at 7:30pm and runs for about two hours and twenty-five minutes, including an interval. Tickets are £16.50.