Next to Normal might be billed as a musical about modern mental health issues and it certainly has a lot to say about medical attempts at treatment. But it seems also to be echoing older tropes about families and madness. Hamlet comes to mind and Eugene O'Neill may not be very far away.

It's about a modern American family beset by mental illness, death and dysfunction. Mother Diana (Janelle McMenamin) is in a long battle with mental illness which has repercussions for her daughter Natalie (Kaitlin Nihill) and husband Dan (Grant Pegg). But she is also dealing with a medical profession that at times seems just as clueless as the court of Denmark is about Hamlet.

It doesn't matter if the doctor is Dr Fine or Dr Madden (Joel Hutchings radiating bearded medical earnestness in both roles). Diana continues to deal with delusions and mood swings that make family life very difficult as she searches for treatment that works. She hardly notices that her daughter is being courted by the gentle Henry (Daniel Steer) or that her husband seems to have put his whole life on hold. Then there's the question of her son Gabriel (Will Huang).

Some may find the music a little relentless but the fine and experienced cast under director Kelda McManus and musical director Rhys Madigan certainly take full advantage of its opportunities for dramatic drive. Pegg convinces as Dan, bewildered by the way life has turned out. Nihill makes young Natalie's struggles clear, believable and endearing. Steer's Henry is balanced and likeable and he and Nihill are an excellent pairing.

McMenamin's Diana has the needful strength, range and humour to tackle the material and she is well matched by Huang's sensitive performance as the enigmatic and haunting Gabriel.

A spiky multilevel set (design uncredited) combines with clear and subdued costuming designed by Jennie Norberry, Liam Ashton's strongly simple lighting and the crew's unobtrusive set changes to leave the focus squarely on the performances.

Next to Normal does not quite have the courage as a piece to go down the path of true tragedy and the end feels a little too optimistically unresolved. But its exploration of sensitive areas should be appreciated as should Phoenix Players' choice of show and fine production.