[AD – PR invite*]
★★★★
The UK tour of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ opened in Canterbury last night, kickstarting a week of performances at the Marlowe Theatre. When the venue announced their Summer Season last year, for me this was one of the most exciting additions to the programme, following on from its huge successes in New York and London. In my opinion, the songs are some of the most memorable theatre tracks of the 2010s and even though I didn’t see the West End production, it is impossible as a theatre fan to not be familiar with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s score. The 2024/2025 touring show is a non-replica production that has been co-produced by the Nottingham Playhouse and ATG Productions. I had the opportunity to review ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ on its opening night here in Kent and can easily see why it has been such a global hit.
Background
The musical centres on socially anxious teenager Evan Hansen and his experiences at school when a fellow student commits suicide. Evan’s actions following this tragic event cause the devastating situation to spiral out of control and ultimately he pays the price for his behaviour.
In some ways it is a tough watch, largely as a result of the underlying themes about mental health and suicide, but in others it’s a thoughtful story of self-discovery and the difficulty of being a teenager with a mental health condition. It is by no means your easy-going musical, with writer Steven Levenson being careful to show sensitivity towards Evan, but he never gives the character a free pass, leading the teenager on a path of reflection. Whilst on the whole I found the book empathetic, in a few places I found there to be slightly too much humour made of the situation, notably in the upbeat ‘Sincerely, Me’ number. For me, the material’s strength lies in the more sincere moments, however I can appreciate that you need humorous elements to break up the more sombre sections and retain the audience’s attention.
Set design and visuals
It is a dark production, both in its themes and overall visuals. It works with the atmosphere of the piece, but I was pleased to see a little more light and depth in act two, particularly when Evan reflects on his actions. The production mostly uses projections to showcase the changing locations and digital elements of the story, with the freestanding set pieces limited to the inside of rooms at Evan’s school, the Hansen and Murphy houses. Even though the sets are minimal, every location is clearly illustrated and thanks to subtle costume changes, you can easily follow the different scenes and Evan’s journey.
A lot of the narrative actually takes place online or over the phone, with Evan leading an isolated lifestyle. The supporting characters sometimes mount platforms at the back of the stage when they are talking to Evan, indicating that this is not an in person conversation. I wish the same attention had been paid to some of the scenes with Evan and family friend Jared (Tom Dickerson) who regularly talk over instant message. At times there isn’t enough of a visual boundary between the characters, leaving you wondering if they are meant to be in the same location or apart.
A superb cast
From my perspective, the Hansen and Murphy families are the heartbeat of the show, showcasing the realities of grief and living with mental health disorders. Evan is such a challenging part to play, particularly when it comes to illustrating the character’s anxieties, and Ryan Kopel’s performance is both sensitive and conscientious. His vocal tone is perfect for Pasek and Paul’s songs, never faltering in the higher notes. Musical theatre icon Alice Fearn (Wicked, Come From Away) plays Evan’s mother Heidi Hansen and I found their relationship on stage truly endearing, particularly in the moving ‘So Big / So Small’. It is such a complex relationship, with Heidi striding to make their lives better, sometimes to the detriment of Evan’s needs. Additionally, Richard Hurst plays the reserved Larry Murphy and manages to capture both the pain of loss and also extend a supportive arm to Evan, who is clearly missing a father figure.
An impactful musical about mental health
Despite my thoughts on the subject matter, this is easily one of the most poignant musicals out there, complete with some truly beautiful musical theatre songs. The emotion that the company brought to ‘You Will Be Found’ at the end of act one drew me to tears. It is such a powerful musical theatre anthem! I only wish they’d reprised it for the finale; this would have been the perfect ending to a very emotional evening. ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is at the Marlowe Theatre until Saturday 8th February, with the last remaining tickets available via the theatre’s website. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to see this smash hit musical in Kent.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
Comments