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15 April 2025
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4****
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One of the refreshing things about the musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is the depth of the story which is sustained throughout the length of the show. The titular character suffers with his mental health and while trying to explain away his issues becomes embroiled in a muddle of his own making which gets out of hand; all in order to try and please others and deal with certain missing aspects of his own life. The book (by Steven Levenson) is very well written and avoids the clichés of excessive angst and over-worthiness in favour of well-drawn characters and smart plotting. The arc of the story is not too tricky to guess after the first half, but that doesn’t diminish the show and the ending also avoids the possible lurch into deep tragedy or ‘happy ever after’.
What the show requires more than anything is a central performance which avoids irritating the audience and keeps the level of anxiety tics realistic and consistent; the empathy of the audience is vital. As Evan Hansen, Ryan Kopel gives one of the best performances you will see on stage at the moment. The story is so strong that if you removed the music the show would probably stand up by itself and Kopel’s acting skills are of the highest level; add to that his vocals and you have a masterful piece of work. There is excellent support throughout, notably from Alice Fearn as Heidi Hansen, Helen Anker as Cynthia Murphy and Richard Hurst as Larry Murphy. Tom Dickerson has a ball as the loud, crude Jared and Lauren Conroy offers heartfelt depth as Evan’s love interest Zoe. Killian Thomas Lefevre also makes his mark as the other central character of the story, Connor Murphy.
The sliding panelled set doesn’t distract and is brought to life by some excellent video designs which are very punchy and effective, this along with the slick lighting make for smart visuals. Rather than dancing there is choreographed movement sequences which don’t add much to the proceedings. Under Michael Bradley the band is excellent and the sound balance is spot-on.
Musically there is much to admire from the work of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, though by the end it was very difficult to avoid the feeling that a lot of the songs sounded very similar to each other. Adam Penfold directs a great cast with care to ensure the story is the thing and the acting is rather more sincere than you sometimes find in the newer musical. The emotions of the audience are definitely engaged but maybe not wholly.
This is a very enjoyable and engrossing show and, although it may be a song/scene too long in each half, has far more strengths than many modern-day musicals and when performed with great skill and wit and with a brilliant leading actor, then it has a great deal going for it.
Cast
Evan Hansen – Ryan Kopel
Zoe Murphy – Lauren Conroy
Heidi Hansen – Alice Fearn
Cynthia Murphy – Helen Anker
Larry Murphy – Richard Hurst
Connor Murphy – Killian Thomas Lefevre
Jared Kleinman – Tom Dickerson
Alana Beck – Vivian Panka
Ensemble – Sonny Monaghan, Lara Beth-Sas, Will Forgrave, Daniel Forrester, Olivia-Faith Kamau, Jessica Lim
Creatives
Book – Steven Levenson
Music & Lyrics – Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Director – Adam Penfold
Set, Costume and Co-Video Designer – Morgan Large
Choreographer – Carrie-Anne Ingrouille
Lighting Designer – Matt Daw
Sound Designer – Tom Marshall
Co-Video Designer – Ravi Deepres
Musical Director – Michael Bradley
Photo Credit – Marc Brenner
