Dear Evan Hansen, UK Tour Review (2024)
Ryan Kopel in Dear Evan Hansen. Photo by Marc Brenner
Written by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic.
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.
The six-time Tony Award, Grammy Award, and Olivier Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen returns to the stage, two years after closing in the West End, in a new production directed by Nottingham Playhouse’s Artistic Director, Adam Penford. Now on a UK tour through Spring 2025, the show explores themes of life, connection, and how we navigate them.
Dear Evan Hansen follows a socially anxious high school student, Evan, who gets caught up in a lie after a letter he wrote to himself is mistaken for a suicide note by a classmate, Connor. Evan becomes entangled in the grieving family’s life and he has to face the consequences of his deception.
There is no doubt that this musical has attracted some mixed reviews over the years, particularly the movie adaptation which was released in 2021. People have always criticised how mental health is portrayed and how Evan’s character isn’t someone that audiences can sympathise with, in particular how he fabricates a relationship with a deceased classmate for personal gain. I think a large percentage of its success however has been in the soundtrack as it is packed with some of the biggest musical theatre songs of the last decade.
So what does this new production have to offer?
The cast of Dear Evan Hansen UK tour. Photo by Marc Brenner
Steven Levenson's book remains unchanged under Adam Penford’s direction, with the same characters and songs, but there's now a deeper exploration of some of the characters, including Evan's, that results in you having more compassion towards how the events of the story unfold. Largely helped by Ryan Kopel, whose physicality of Evan makes him such a joy to watch. Kopel does a stunning job of capturing vulnerability and anxiety alongside the longing for connection then hits the audience when he delivers some of the biggest songs in Dear Evan Hansen, notably “You Will Be Found” and “Words Fail” which will leave you utterly stunned.
Kopel is supported by a tour-de-force of a cast. Lauren Conroy plays Zoe Murphy, a strong yet compassionate character who is grappling with her family’s struggles of dealing with the death of her brother whilst also seeking understanding and connection. Then there’s Richard Hurst and Helen Anker as Connor Murphy’s parents, their portrayal of navigating the grief of losing their son feels incredibly honest and raw that it’s impossible not to be moved by their performances. Alice Fearn is known for being an almighty force to be reckoned with on the stage and I feel as though Dear Evan Hansen still enables her to commit to a role, even if it’s not particularly “big” in terms of presence, the impact that Heidi’s character (Evan’s mum) has on the course of Evan’s journey is powerful. Her rendition of “So Big/So Small” left a lot of audience members clawing for their tissues.
Although his performance feels like it’s sprinkled throughout, Killian Thomas Lefevre plays a fantastic Connor Murphy. He portrays the troubled and misunderstood teenager who struggles with mental health issues well but there isn’t enough time to really show this to support the musical’s overall plot.
Tom Dickenson who plays Jared Kleinman is incredibly funny - the audience definitely grasped the opportunity to enjoy some light relief. Vivian Panka supported this as the driven and ambitious Alana Beck, if you listen carefully you’ll be blown away by her harmonies in some of the big numbers!
Morgan Lane’s set design is filled to the brim with mirrors with sliding doors that help to expand and condense the audience’s view of the story. There are times when we are really drawn into the heart of the story and the families emotions. Carrie-Anne Ingrouille does a great job at emphasising the small ensemble in the big musical numbers, a stand out being “Waving Through A Window” which uses gestures to emphasise the words in the songs. The one thing I wished for in this production was for the ensemble to be utilised even more in the school scenes, as they often felt more like stagehands than fully integrated characters.
Overall, Dear Evan Hansen remains as profound as it was, it left me deeply moved. This will be a triumph for Nottingham Playhouse and I have no question that fans of the show will be as devoted to it as they were when it was in the West End.
On a UK Tour until 24 May 2025.
★ ★ ★ ★
