It’s quite something to witness a literal show-stopper —— Caissie Levy’s “I Miss the Mountains” —— and to see an entire West End audience leap to their feet at the finale. The fact this is happening for a six-person chamber rock musical, about the effects of psychopharmacology on a psychotic mother (Caissie Levy) and her dysfunctional family, is testament to quite what a brilliant show this is.

The original 2008 Broadway musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Londoners, though, have had to wait until 2023, for a production that ran for less than two months (at a private members’ club called the Donmar Warehouse). Following a slew of Olivier nominations, this new, British production (directed by Michael Longhurst) has now finally transferred to the West End, so everyone can get a chance to see it.

The design is a simple, kitchen-sink set (Chloe Lamford), which puts the live, 6-piece band in full view up top. With no bells and whistles other than some well-placed video projections (Tal Rosner), the ensemble cast have nowhere to hide, and each actor offers a character study so real it gets your heart racing. The show is mostly sung-through; every performer is a Broadway and West End star in their own right, and the vocals across the board are some of the strongest you will ever hear on the West End.

The only criticism is that 43-year-old Levy just looks too young and good-looking to play the lead: who is, according to the script, a harried, sleepless and psychotic 40-year-old mother of two. With salon-perfect hair, glowing skin, and a slim, toned waist, Levy embodies the production‘s aim to remind audiences that psychosis doesn’t have a pre-determined “look” –– and to leave stereotypes at the door.

Playing at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre, 18 June – 21 September 2024.