11 – 15 February
A packed house, a standing ovation, and an audience utterly swept away – Dear Evan Hansen has lost none of its magnetic appeal as it embarks on its first major UK tour. The show, which took Broadway and the West End by storm, has inspired a devoted following, drawn to its chart-topping score and deeply emotive story of loneliness, grief, and the search for belonging. But how does this production balance its weighty themes with the polished musical theatre sheen that makes it so widely beloved?
Dear Evan Hansen is a modern musical phenomenon, featuring a book by Steven Levenson and a score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land). The original production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and received seven Olivier nominations during its celebrated West End run. Now, this UK tour brings the story to new audiences across the country – and so to Bristol…
At its core, the show follows Evan Hansen (Ryan Kopel), a socially anxious high schooler who finds himself caught in a spiraling web of lies after the suicide of his classmate, Connor Murphy (Killian Thomas Lefevre). What begins as a misguided attempt to comfort the grieving Murphy family (Lauren Conroy, Helen Anker and Richard Hurst) snowballs into a fabricated story that catapults Evan into a level of social acceptance he’s never known. Through its exploration of mental health, grief, and the ever-growing influence of social media, Dear Evan Hansen resonates with contemporary audiences, offering a sharp reflection of teenage isolation in the digital age.
On a technical level, this production is unquestionably impressive. The lead performances are striking, with Ryan Kopel’s Evan Hansen anchoring the piece through sheer vocal power and physical intensity. Alice Fearn, playing Evan’s mother Heidi, delivers some of the production’s most eloquent moments, adding necessary nuance to the show’s emotional arc. The entire cast boasts formidable singing ability, though at times the sheer volume of the vocals and the overpowering backtracks risk smothering the lyrical clarity and intimacy of the more delicate moments.
Standout performances also include Tom Dickerson as Jared Kleinman, whose crass, irreverent humor serves as a much-needed counterpoint to the show’s intensity, anarchically pointing out the absurdity of the situation with well-timed comic relief. Vivian Panka also deserves recognition for her portrayal of Alana Beck, the insufferably well-meaning classmate clinging to the constructed memory of Connor with misplaced nostalgia. She brings depth to a character who embodies the uneasy truth of seeking belonging at the expense of rubbernecking tragedy, making Alana a strikingly human figure in the narrative.
The set design is sleek and functional, with ever-present digital projections amplifying the omnipresence of social media – a clever, if somewhat predictable, choice. The cacophony of screens, voices, and text threads closing in on Evan as his lies unravel mirrors the encroaching pressure of his mental disorder, which he has only been able to keep at bay through his false narrative. Visually, the production leans into a clean, familiar aesthetic evoking the pedestrian layouts of a family home or high school hallway, yet it rarely ventures into the kind of striking theatricality that could elevate it beyond its cinematic influences. Notably, the mirrored trees used to depict the hallowed orchard in the final act offer a glimpse of a more evocative design language, one that could have been explored more fully throughout.
Narratively, Dear Evan Hansen walks a precarious tightrope. It is a show about suicide, grief, and social anxiety – but also a feel-good, high-energy musical filled with soaring, radio-friendly ballads. This tonal balancing act is part of what makes it so fascinating. The show flirts with deeper, more unsettling truths about performative grief and the way tragedy can be co-opted for personal validation. Yet, rather than leaning into these darker, more complex threads, the production smooths them over with sentimentality, giving audiences just enough catharsis without ever truly forcing them to sit with the discomfort of its themes.
For those who love Dear Evan Hansen, this production will undoubtedly deliver everything they hope for: powerful vocals, a well-paced and heartfelt story, and the kind of emotional swells that leave a theatre buzzing with post-show exhilaration. For those less enamored with its glossy presentation of deeply human struggles, it may feel like a missed opportunity – an undeniably compelling piece of theatre that ultimately chooses polish over poignancy.
Yet, perhaps that is the very reason Dear Evan Hansen continues to resonate. It provides a safe, accessible space to explore difficult emotions, wrapped in an irresistibly palatable musical package. If you are willing to give in to its high school melodrama and saccharine sincerity, you will undoubtedly be found among its devoted fans.
★★★★☆ Tilly Marshall, 12 February 2025
