Next to Normal - Donmar / Wyndham’s

I'm not sure N2N attracts the same sort of demo as Heathers... 

In truth, I don't expect much from the London critics.

Most of them have little time for edgy musical theatre, especially any show that is American-based. Unless it is full of belly-laughs and has a score you can clap along to at the finale, they more or less sit on their hands and give it tepid praise at best. They will likely review N2N the same as DEAR EVAN HANSEN and A STRANGE LOOP. A few will see the brilliance in it but most will give it a 'meh' with little to praise outside of the performances. 
 

I was there last night and think the Time Out review is pretty bang-on - its a great production of a 3* musical for me.

Tammy Faye showed that shows don't have to get raves across the board to win performance awards, but I think they'll definitely have hampered it's chances of winning best musical

You can't beat the buzz of a good transfer announcement!

True but not every show will transfer even if it's acclaimed and to me, these shows at smaller venues like the Donmar are not meant to be West End try outs and it's not a failure on the theatre's part if a show doesn't transfer. 

Trying not to get too angry at some of these 'critics'.

Surely a lot of the chances of a transfer would depend on the demand for tickets. This has been sold out for a while I thought but a fanbase wanting to see a show for a limited run in a 250 seat theatre is different to a transfer to a much larger playhouse for a longer run.

But if you are attracting a lot of top names like Cassie surely they would be looking at a possible transfer down the line as they are in the profession and a transfer in a lead role would be a lucrative carrot compared to the salary for playing a smaller venue like the Donmar. Unless the performers are more interested in the quality of the role thinking it may lead to nominations and in turn more lucrative roles almost like the top actor doing a villan turn in an action film and then going back to shakesperian stage roles theory.

When? Where?

Actually, I do consider DEH slightly edgy given its themes of suicide and mental health issues. I am probably not alone in that. 

OKLAHOMA, is not a new musical. It is a revival. Edgy? Definitely. But it is a show any worthy critic of musicals will already know coming in so that doesn't quite count. And I can recall few London revivals from 'The Golden Age' that didn't have critics falling over themselves (at least not since KISMET with Michael Ball got well deserved pans across most of the board).

I actually think as a movie it would be even better (with the right director) as the medium allows the story to unfold and/or illustrate minute details that aren't always possible onstage. You can accomplish visually several things at the same time which in a live production might look baffling. The recent TICK TICK BOOM with Andrew Garfield is a prime example of that. 

2 hours and 25 mins including interval