Dear Evan Hansen
Theatre Royal Brighton
until Saturday 19th October 2024 before continuing on tour.
‘Dear Evan Hansen‘ has opened at the Theatre Royal Brighton, rightfully so it is expected to play to full houses all week. This is the first national UK tour of this groundbreaking musical after a very successful run in the West End (not to mention winning six Tony awards when it was on Broadway); trust me it is worth seeing.
The musical is often not an easy watch, with challenging themes of depression, suicide, mental health and grief. However that should not put you off, it is also a testament of love, friendship, bonding and that no-one should be forgotten or alone. This is especially true in this strange new world we are creating where everyone is digitally connected but not necessarily emotionally supported.
Evan Hansen is an introverted, socially awkward teenager, he lives with his Mum who works hard and studies in the evening so he is often alone. Through a series of accidental misunderstandings he inadvertently creates a web of lies which spiral out of control, yet gives him acceptance and confidence he has never felt before.
Evan Hansen is brilliantly portrayed by Ryan Kopel, from the opening scene the audience were aware of Evan’s vulnerabilities Kopel reigned us in beautifully. Alice Fearn as Evan’s Mum Heidi was equally compelling, all she wants to do was to help and support her son but struggles to know how. The Murphys are the family most affected by Evan’s distortion of truth, in them, we see, a broken family, built up by hope and a common belief. Lauren Conway (Zoe), Helen Anker (Cynthia), Richard Hurst (Larry) and Killian Thomas Lefevre (Connor) are to be congratulated. Lighter moments are created by Tom Dickerson who plays Jared who is careful to remind Evan he is not a ‘friend’ but a ‘family friend’ and Vivian Panka (Alana) who is also desperate to be noticed and liked.
Dear Evan Hansen has music and lyrics written by super-songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land and The Greatest Showman), their ingenuity means that each songs delivers the correct amount of emotion, information and in many cases humour, complemented by Steven Levenson‘s script; Dear Evan Hansen is a truly musical for our time.
Through Evan and those around him there are human traits and internal struggles that we all recognise and have to deal with on a daily basis. It reminds us of the most important thing.
No-one should be alone.
Grab a yourself a ticket in Brighton or elsewhere – if you can.
Reviewer: Sammi O’Neill
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐