SINGAPORE — Next To Normal is hardly your “normal” musical. This Pulitzer Prize-winning work by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt can be depressing, with its seemingly expletive-infused script, scenes of teenagers discussing their choice of drugs, and a story revolving around a woman with a mental illness. Yes, at first glance, Pangdemonium’s latest production seems like a bitter pill to swallow — if you’re looking for a relaxing night out at the theatre. But we strongly urge you to take this particular dose of on-stage medicine. It’s a thoroughly humanising look at a social taboo that succeeds very much as an enjoyable musical. So to speak. Next To Normal sees Diana (played by West End vet Sally Ann Triplett) suffering from bipolar disorder, as husband Dan (Adrian Pang) and teenage daughter Natalie (Julia Abueva) try their best to cope. And even as Diana is occupied by her thoughts of her son Gabe (Nathan Hartono) and seeks help from a doctor (Juan Jackson), her daughter has her own adolescent issues with schoolmate Henry (Linden Furnell). How director Tracie Pang managed to pull this off, we’ll never know. The issue of mental illness is handled with such sensitivity and compassion and yet it doesn’t tiptoe around it at all. Next To Normal is intense, gritty and emotionally draining, but it’s also brash, funny and feels alive. Getting the balance right is no easy thing. In building a complex psychological and family portrait of having and living with one who has bipolar disorder, everything seems to be on shaky ground. It is as if the entire musical itself is undergoing some wild mood swings. The eclectic music, played by a live band, goes into jazz, rock, punk, country, and beyond. Hallucinations merge with the real, as when Diana imagines her doctor as some rockstar during their therapy sessions. As Diana, Triplett draws you in with her energy, her transformation from the jittery livewire of the first part to the almost helpless figure of the second moves you deeply. Adrian Pang stays mainly in the background as the all-suffering, hero of a husband, but this move is surprisingly effective. Jackson’s sporadic deadpan presence as the doctor, too, was a welcome counterpoint to all the drama going on. During last weekend’s gala night, we thought Hartono could perhaps have upped the mania of his “is-he-or-isn’t-he-there” character. Abueva, meanwhile, is perfect in her role as the angsty teen from a dysfunctional family with no one to turn to. Finally, there’s Furnell, who is a natural as the jovial stoner, Henry, as he is introduced into his girlfriend’s unusual family and gradually matures. It’s a crazy ride, but Next To Normal doesn’t neglect its responsibilities, touching on ethical issues such as the use of shock therapy, which carries the risk of memory loss, for instance. However, it also doesn’t overreach. There is no illusion of a quick fix here, and it all ends on an extremely bitter-sweet note. But there is enough heart to let you take comfort in the faintest sense of hope that it offers. After all, as the final song goes, “we love anyway”. Next To Normal runs until Sept 22, 8pm, Drama Centre Theatre. With 3pm weekend matinees. Tickets from S$30 to S$88 at Sistic.