Review: Dear Evan Hansen (UK Tour)

Review by Daz Gale

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On my podcast every week, I always ask the guest joining me what their favourite show is. When it comes to mine, I have a shortlist of four though the exact order can vary one week to the next. Among those four is Dear Evan Hansen, a show I fell in love with on Broadway 7 years ago and grew obsessed with while it was in the West End a year later, visiting it an obscene amount of times. A show that is clearly very special to me, I am also so used to the original version so it's understandable I was slightly nervous about this new adapted tour production. After a couple of false starts, I finally got to see it for myself this week, but would I find my trip there would result in an amazing day or would words fail?

First seen in 2015, Dear Evan Hansen debuted on Broadway in 2016 and in the West End in 2019 where it ran for three years, winning Olivier and Tony awards in the process (though the less said about the movie adaptation, the better). It tells the story of high school student Evan Hansen who struggles to fit in and feels as if nobody would even notice if he disappeared. When an extreme turn of events involving one of his classmates sees a spontaneous lie spiral into something enormous, Evan gets what he always wanted but at what cost, and what will happen when the truth comes out?

Written by Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen weaves a narrative that deals with heavy themes such as mental health and one other I won’t spoil. In doing so, it speaks to the very heart of what many people face - their inner struggles, turmoil and fears to fit in. This goes far beyond the high school years with a story that is accessible to many, myself included. Though the events of what Evan does are far from ethical and have left a bad taste in some people’s mouths, it is not as black and white as “Evan is a villain” or “Evan is a hero”. Instead, what we deal with is “Evan is a human” - he makes mistakes, some pretty terrible ones, but then has to manage the fallout while everything spins out of control. In that respect, this is a captivating story about not just one teenage boy and his struggles but how his actions affect those around him, with every other character in the story having their life impacting either in both positive and negative ways due to one spontaneous decision. This was why I found the movie so cold, as it failed to understand that this story was more than simply Evan, and by minimising those around him, all of the humanity and layers of this story disappears. Thankfully, those themes have always been present in the musical and this latest production is no exception.

Rather than replicate the production that wowed audiences on Broadway and in the West End, director Adam Penford has attempted to reimagine the story through a contemporary lens, adding an ensemble into the mix for the first time in the UK. When I heard this, I must admit being a bit sceptical - there is that worry when you love a show so much, is it the show itself or was it the production? I tried to banish the memories of the original production while watching this but comparing when you know the previous production so intricately is inevitable and gave me a deeper perspective when writing this. Though I can’t deny missing certain elements of the choreography (put 50p in me and I will speak to you at length about the genius of the inverted choreography used in ‘Waving Through A Window’ and then ‘You Will be Found’, this production stands on its own two feet, retaining the essence of the story while bringing something new to the mix. This isn’t a case of being better or worse than the original production - it is a case of being different and, in this case, different is a good thing,

Morgan Large’s set design is drastically different to what I’d seen in this show before but its aesthetic is beautiful and leads to some glorious new moments that elevate the material. It’s use of mirrors and rather on-the-nose windows paves way for some remarkable effects, with video design from large and Ravi Deepres and lighting from Matt Daw making every element come together in moments such as ‘For Forever’ where blinding sunlight amplifies the lyrics to an extent, it makes an already powerful moment that much more impactful. New choreography from Carrie-Anne Ingrouille shows that all that it takes is a little reinvention, completely ripping up the rulebook and bringing new ways to tell this story, particularly in ‘Sincerely, Me’ whose signature moves are no more and have been replaced with a more energetic and, dare I say, fun routine that still proves to be one of the highlights of the show.

The music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul is one of the reasons Dear Evan Hansen has been so loved for the last decade. Songs such as ‘Waving Through A Window’ have become musical theatre staples thanks to their blend of heart-wrenching and relatable lyrics with melodies as infectious as you would expect from the pair responsible for the soon to be stage-bound The Greatest Showman. The jewel in their crown is ‘You Will Be Found’ - one of the most powerful songs in musical theatre and a song that evokes an emotional response like no other - no matter how many times I have seen this show, that song has never failed to reduce me to tears. In this production, it is bigger and better than ever before with a use of video so impressive, it eclipses that of the West End version. The impact of this moment can never be understated and is a pure example of how incredible musical theatre can be when it is as perfect as this. It doesn’t come much better than ‘You Will Be Found’ - this production knows that and makes sure that sequence gets the gravitas and style it deserves.

It’s fair to say I loved every detail of this new production from the design to direction, but there is one other crucial factor when it comes to telling this story and that is, of course, the cast. For this tour, the production have assembled a cast of some of musical theatre's finest and the result is nothing short of amazing.

Stepping in to the role of Evan Hansen is Ryan Kopel in a blisteringly good performance that demonstrates his stunning abilities as an actor. Channelling the awkward and nervous aspects of Evan’s character, Kopel truly taps into that with an intricate and meticulous awareness of his every movement, particularly in the facial expressions. Kopel’s Evan has a sweet sensitivity in his delivery of the lines with more restrained moments only going to make the impact of those bigger, more gut-punching moments all the more impactful. Though Evan may believe he goes around unnoticed, the same cannot be said about Kopel in a performance that demands your eyes are always on him thanks to his magnificent stage presence, even when playing a character who might feel so small in comparison.

Playing a role like Evan Hansen requires vulnerability, authenticity and emotion – three aspects that are prominent in Kopel’s faultless performance. With a beautiful singing voice that ranges from sweet and gentle to big and powerful, Kopel uses all of these skills to create a take on the character I haven’t quite seen before. The fourth Evan I have seen on stage, his ‘For Forever’, ‘Waving Through A Window’ and ‘You Will be Found’ were just as fantastic as I would hope from these three killer numbers. However, it was his ‘Words Fail’ that truly left me lost for words, rather fittingly. With an emotional depth and rawness I had never seen in a version of that song before, Kopel took it to genius new levels with an emotional weight meaning when he let out a sob towards the show’s climax, I was right there with him. When it comes to the best examples of storytelling through song and delivering a performance that is raw and real, his ‘Words Fail’ encapsulates this perfectly.

Lauren Conroy captivates in her turn as Zoe Murphy, beautifully bringing depth to her big numbers ‘Requiem’ and ‘Only Us’. Tom Dickerson ramps up the comedy as Jared Kleinman in a more physical performance than I am used to for this role. His exaggerated reactions were a much needed bit of light relief when the story does get too overwhelming. Vivian Panka is similarly striking as Alana Beck in a performance that balances eccentricities of her character with the pain prevalent in her. Alice Fearn once again proves what a powerhouse performer she is, taking on Heidi Hansen in a performance that wows consistently. It is her rendition of climactic number ‘So Big, So Small’ that beautifully demonstrates the strength of not just her as a performer but the show itself. In a quieter, more restrained performance, I felt the poignancy of the lyrics like never before in a great use of direction.

I have always found Dear Evan Hansen to be an incredibly special show, and one with an important message. I have been through changes in myself and my own story since I last saw the show in 2022, meaning I related to aspects of the story in different ways to before. This show still remains as special to me as it did the first time I saw it, perhaps even more so now. If the beauty of theatre is how much it can make you feel, few shows can penetrate my heart and soul as effortlessly as Dear Evan Hansen and this production is a great example of how and why it manages to do that - there is nothing like the message in ‘You Will Be Found’ to heal you when you are at your most broken, and for that alone, this show is enough. Taking the essence of what made the original production so special and tweaking it a bit to make it fresh but every bit as impactful, Dear Evan Hansen remains as phenomenal now as ever before and will guarantee that any visit to see it will result in an amazing day.

Dear Evan Hansen continues its tour of the UK until 5th July.

Dates and tickets at www.evanontour.com

Photos by Marc Brenner