Going into The Normal Heart, I had wondered whether amateur student theatre was the right setting to grapple with the propensity of the AIDS epidemic. The script was performed in London in 1986 and then again in 2021. But on the whole, despite how stunning it is, Kramer’s script is one that most professional directors - let alone student directors - seem cautious of putting on the stage.

I’m very glad that The Normal Heart’s director Alex Velody has brought this script back to life on the ADC’s stage. Any pre-existing concerns about whether a cast and crew of students could take this on, or any raised by the first half’s slightly slow start, are forgotten entirely in the second half. I left the auditorium having seen something unlike anything I’ve seen before on a Cambridge stage. Alex Velody’s direction, and his marvellous cast, prove the magnitude of what student theatre can tackle. Kramer’s script is important, and a masterpiece of a starting point, but this production is incredible theatre in its own right too. The Normal Heart is one of the most important pieces of theatre you can see this term.

“Alex Velody’s direction, and his marvellous cast, prove the magnitude of what student theatre can tackle”

Alongside tackling the AIDS epidemic as its primary focus, the cast depicts what it means to be gay and in love – not just gay and ill. They depict the bitterness and struggle of being closeted. How Jewish identities intersect with gay identities. What it means to be an activist. What it means to fall in love, and how painful it can be to care for an ill loved one. What grief feels like when that love is lost, and when there’s no dignity in death. How suffering changes a person.

The Normal Heart is a production we can learn from, but also one that we can relate to. If you’re gay; if you’ve been in love; if you’ve argued with a friend; if you’re an activist; if you’ve ever been in hospital; if you have siblings; if you’re a medical student; if you’ve ever felt marginalised, this is a play in which you will find something to identify with.

It’s not an easy task to highlight which members of the cast shine most brightly. Dr. Emma Brookner (Harriet Regan) is performed with amazing attention to detail and care throughout. When Mickey Marcus (Lucia Guzy-Kirkden) launched into a monologue detailing the pressures of being a gay activist, I was genuinely stunned. This impressive moment is followed by countless others in the remainder of the second half, though.

In a gut-wrenching fight between protagonist Ned Weeks (Rafael Griso Dryer) and his lover Felix Turner (Jaysol Doy), we see the immensity of what love does to a person. Rafael Griso Dryer has the challenge of depicting a man endlessly angry at a world that he can’t shout loud enough in, and he does so with incredible skill. Sometimes spoilers are inevitable when reviewing theatre, but if you don’t already know Kramer’s script, I truly think you deserve to see this play without knowing what’s coming next. That being said, the script provides Jaysol Doy with a vast challenge in his depiction of Felix, but he takes on the role sensitively, convincingly, and movingly.

“Jake Burke masters the scene to absolute perfection, and to witness it was both utterly horrifying and a complete privilege”

Bruce Niles (Jake Burke) is a closeted gay man, working for Citibank, having to laugh along to his boss’s homophobic jokes so his queer identity isn’t suspected. He’s a quiet character, restrained, and ordered. That is, until he suffers a loss too great for him, or the audience, to truly grapple with. Jake Burke’s emotional monologue is astounding theatre. Between his lines he, and the audience, pause. The silence that fills the theatre is deafening. Jake Burke masters the scene to absolute perfection, and to witness it was both utterly horrifying and a complete privilege.

“This is an immense play, and when we do remember that the cast and crew are all students, it becomes almost inexplicable”

Student theatre, especially that produced amidst the chaos of a Cambridge term, will always have some restraints. There were a couple of fumbled cues, one or two moments of questionable lighting, and some ever so slightly dodgy choreography. Bear with the excessively long 80s sequence at the opening – it’s not reflective of the rest of the play’s power. Sometimes, though, these tiny moments serve as a valuable reminder that the cast and crew aren’t professionals. This is an immense play, and when we do remember that the cast and crew are all students, it becomes almost inexplicable.

The ending to this play is absolutely harrowing. When the cast offer us a pause in their dialogue, silence is underscored by the sound of muted tears. The audience was immediately on their feet for the cast as they bowed. As the house lights came up, it was obvious how collectively moved we were as an audience. I have never seen amateur theatre elicit such a response on mass.

The Normal Heart is astounding. It is also horrifying. Find the time this week. Go to the ADC. Join the students who have devoted such emotion and care to bringing such momentous theatre to a Cambridge stage.

The Normal Heart is showing at the ADC Theatre until Saturday 3rd February. All profits, and at least 10% of ticket sales from this production will be donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust.