It has been 40 years since The Normal Heart first burst into the public consciousness, with Larry Kramer’s production first premiering Off-Broadway before a fabled production in Australia took place in 1989, which proved inspiration for a number of the cast members now returning. As Sydney begins to celebrate Mardi Gras as part of the annual festivities in the Harbour City, the play takes on a different meaning, presenting both as a historical artefact as well as a reminder of the progress still to be made.

The play tells Kramer’s loosely autobiographical story, set in the midst of the AIDS crisis, as Ned Weeks begins to galvanise support for medical treatment and increased awareness for AIDS but keeps facing political roadblocks until he is eventually cast out of the organisation that he founded just as the movement starts to gain some traction.

This production features a very welcome return to the stage by Sydney Theatre Company’s artistic director Mitchell Butel as Weeks. To say that Butel’s performance is extraordinary would be a true understatement. It is captivating to the highest degree, with Butel encapsulating the passion, the anger, the fury and ultimately, the unfairness of the situation around his character. What is particularly noteworthy about Butel’s interpretation is that despite the poignancy and the power of the dialogue and the gravity of his character’s situation, this is not a performance that just feels angry in an unbridled way. Rather, it explores the nuance of loss, of grief and of a profound sadness as well as highlighting the anger that pierces through the dialogue of the play. It is one of the best performances by an actor in Australian theatre in the past year and it really defines this production.

Butel is extremely well supported by the rest of the cast, with Nicholas Brown giving a fantastic and gut-wrenching performance as Weeks’ lover Felix, who has some of the more beautiful and lyrical lines in the play, which he brings out with such sincerity and force behind them. Butel and Brown complement each other perfectly and bring a sense of humanity to a play which stands diametrically opposed to the lack of empathy with which gay men in the 80s and 90s were treated in the midst of the AIDS crisis.

The rest of the cast is also strong, with Tim Draxl as Bruce doing a fantastic job of playing the foil to Weeks’ loud activism and shedding a light on the risks associated with being out in the 80s in the corporate world. Emma Jones as Dr Emma Brookner, who seeks to galvanise Weeks into taking action, is also a forceful presence on stage, typifying the call to action of those in the medical profession who were supportive.

The play is generally very well written (although perhaps a little literal at points) but the quality of the acting means that this matters little, as the emotion and the turmoil that the play seeks to convey really come through well. The ending of the play is particularly poignant and emotional, with many in the audience in tears by its conclusion. In the post-show Q&A that followed on the night of review, the guests and Butel spoke at length about the relevance of the play at the moment as support moves away from AIDS and HIV prevention around the world and the risk of history repeating itself. It was a strong and powerful message, especially with regard to diverse and marginalised communities.

Director Dean Bryant makes the interesting choice to have the actors on stage for most of the performance, even when they are not in particular scenes. This is an inspired choice as it really gives a sense of cohesion and fluency to the performance, which is very well received by the audience. What is particularly special about this performance is the live musical accompaniment, which adds a sense of ambience and direction, adding to the feeling of humanity that the actors so convincingly convey. Jeremy Allen’s set design is also clever, placing the  hospital as a liminal space, which feels appropriate for the production, very much conveying the coldness and sterility which encompass the fear that those in those waiting rooms would have felt.

Overall, this is a beautiful production which is stunningly well acted and brought to life beautifully by those on and off stage. I have no doubt that when we look back on this year’s productions across Australia, this will be right up there with the very best. It really has everything and is a must watch for all those in Sydney.

Rating: ★★★★★

The Normal Heart plays at the Drama Theatre until 14th March 2026. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Neil Bennett