I’m Autistic A New Musical review Authentic and full of promise

★★★

Few new musicals feel as heartfelt or as steeped in lived experience as I’m Autistic - A New Musical, an evolving work that captures the joys and challenges of life on the spectrum. It follows three young autistic people navigating love, friendship, and self-discovery, with a cast that includes several neurodivergent performers. Importantly, every neurodivergent character is played by a genuinely neurodivergent actor, a choice that brings an authenticity many productions strive for but rarely achieve.

This lived experience allows the performances to shine, particularly Liberty Ashford as Lauren, a young adult coming to terms with a later life autistic diagnosis, and Gabriel Phelan as Nat, navigating love and relationships. Written by autistic writer Leonora Brooks, the story entertains while offering audiences an honest insight into life with neurodivergence and the harsh realities it can bring. Moments of heart and joy sit alongside scenes of confusion and deep despair, the latter especially powerful.

As strong as the performances are, the production’s music and staging sometimes hold it back. The score leans heavily on floaty ballads and big power ballads, beautiful in isolation but too similar to sustain momentum. Much of the music is piano heavy and echo filled, giving songs a samey quality that could be lifted with more variety in instrumentation or a few genuinely up tempo, energetic numbers. Likewise, the staging over relies on cast members moving four large blocks in endless formations from the back of the stage, a device that quickly becomes repetitive. These staging changes do not need to be expansive to be effective, and the story might benefit from trimming the number of characters, with some roles either removed or combined so they could be played by the same actor.

Yet for all its rough edges, this production has authenticity, heart, and significant promise. With a more varied score, fresher and more purposeful staging choices, and a sharper focus on its strongest characters, I’m Autistic - A New Musical could evolve into something truly special, perhaps even standing alongside How To Dance in Ohio as one of the most moving and memorable stage portrayals of autism and neurodiversity.

I'm Autistic - A New Musical

Venue 45 @ theSpace

Varying Times

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