Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart is not an elegantly written work of theatre. Far from it. It is didactic to the point of polemic. Its dialogue is frequently pedestrian. Its repetitive speechifying feels better suited to the protest platform than the stage.

But four decades after its premiere – and even though it has been overshadowed by more artful plays, most notably Tony Kushner’s epic Angels in America – The Normal Heart still captivates with its furious urgency, and its challenge to institutional thinking remains as topical as ever.

Mitchell Butel and Michael Griffiths in The Normal Heart. Photo © Neil Bennett

Premiering in New York City in 1985 (it was first seen in Australia in 1989, in a Wayne Harrison-directed production for Sydney Theatre Company), The Normal Heart was one of the earliest and most strident theatrical responses to the AIDS crisis. It is easy to overlook now what an eye-opener it was. Kramer’s depiction of queer life in New York was frank, to say the least. He also made no bones about apportioning blame for...