Theatre Junction’s Broadway musical ‘Next to Normal’ is set to take the stage next week! We caught up with the dynamic duo behind Theatre Junction to talk about the musical and what it takes to produce an award winning Broadway number! 

Anushka Senanayake (Artistic Director) 

As the Founding Artistic Director of Theatre Junction, a theatre company based in Colombo, Anushka has gained her experience as a director and performer in USA, Europe and Sri Lanka. During her undergraduate education in USA, Anushka received numerous awards for her work in theatre and economics and was tapped into a number of National Honour Societies. Anushka has also organized and executed a number of events aimed at creating awareness and raising funds for victims of breast cancer and causes such as improving literacy for the visually impaired in Sri Lanka. 

What are some of the most recent theatre projects or productions you have worked on? 

Most of my recent work in theatre has been in Ireland, as I was based in Dublin for the past two years or so. I recently completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Directing at The Lir Academy, Trinity College Dublin and I have been working as a theatre director. 

The most recent production I directed was the world premiere of Sisters of the Rising by Christiane O’Mahony at The Everyman Palace Theatre in Ireland. This production was also presented at the Galway Theatre Festival and is currently on its national tour. 

What inspired you to select Next to Normal as your next theatre production? 

I first read this script some years ago and ever since then, I have looked forward to an opportunity to work on this particular production. The manner in which the subject of mental health, grief and relationships are explored in this play is truly inspired. Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey have woven these important and urgent conversations into the fabric of the piece with great care and honesty. It was mainly these themes that inspired me to direct this piece as I felt these topics were relevant to a Sri Lankan audience at this particular point in time. 

What is the most difficult part about directing a play of this magnitude? 

I suppose, as with any good script, the challenge lies in ensuring that the dramatic action of the piece is communicated to the audience with honesty and urgency. It is definitely a demanding piece for the 6 actors who have to handle this subject matter with care and tackle complex singing harmonies. It was a thrilling challenge for me to collaborate with them to bring this piece to life in a manner that steers away from the conceits and aesthetic that audiences would typically expect from a musical. 

Can you give us an idea of what the audience can expect? 

As I mentioned before, this production features 6 actors which makes it quite an intimate piece. I feel privileged to have worked with Natasha, our music director, who has worked tirelessly to bring together our instrumental ensemble that features some of Sri Lanka’s finest musicians. This instrumental ensemble, conducted by Natasha, will accompany the actors with live music for each performance. This is a compelling story that is filled with laughter and heart with music that will seep through your skin. 

Natasha Senanayake (Music Director) 

One of the only professional female composers in Sri Lanka, Natasha currently holds the title of ‘Commonwealth Music Ambassador’ across all 53 nations of the Commonwealth. Amongst that, she is also the first woman to have received a commission from the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka. With a Master’s degree in Music Composition, Natasha’s compositions have been performed worldwide, including the USA, England, Scotland, Ireland, Japan and Sri Lanka. 

What’s the role of a music director, especially in a musical? 

For the production of this musical, I initially worked individually with the actors as they became acquainted with the music score for the first time. I focused on integrating vocal techniques to help them to engage better in preparation for singing in the style of musical theatre while staying true to their natural voices. I also worked with the actors in smaller groups as well as with all of them together, as they learned the intricate harmonies which sometimes split up in to as many as six parts. 

Apart from working on the vocals of the actors, I also put together the live instrumental ensemble consisting of piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitars, bass guitar, drums, violin and cello, which I am excited to conduct on the performance nights. 

What are the songs in Next To Normal like? 

The songs in this musical have an incredible variety of flavours ranging from rock influenced music to classical music and jazz. Each song has been composed and constructed with care, with much attention to detail in terms of the vocal harmonies and instrumental orchestration. This score is full of pleasantly challenging surprises and the musicians have immensely enjoyed bringing it to life. 

How difficult is it to train the cast? Especially to sing and act at the same time? 

Training the cast has been very exciting considering the group of wonderful voices I have had the pleasure of working with. The main challenge was to find the right balance between all 6 voices specially when working on songs which contained complex contrapuntal harmonies. Getting the actors used to singing while staging was worked on in collaboration with the director. 

As a professional composer, what are your thoughts on the score? 

I deeply admire how well the music of Next To Normal has been crafted by Tom Kitt. We have done our best to bring the music to life with the honesty that it deserves. It is an absolute pleasure to work with such a gripping piece of art. I am thankful to our artistic director, Anushka Senanayake for the opportunity to direct this musical alongside her. 

Next to Normal will take place on the 29th, 30th of September and the 1st of October at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 7:30pm onwards. 

Tickets are priced at Rs. 2500, Rs. 1500, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 800 and will be available for purchase at the venue from 20th September. For advance bookings, please call 0777567366. 

Photographs by Jason Eardly