Review: Dear Evan Hansen's First Ever UK Tour
Last night was a good night, and here's why…
Whilst it’s admittedly a cringe-worthy viewing at times, given the nature of the story, we love the screen adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen starring Amy Adams and Ben Platt and we’ve been eagerly awaiting the stage show’s UK dates.
The story follows Evan, who has been tasked with writing letters to himself to help him cope with his social anxiety. When his classmate finds one and later dies by suicide, Evan finds himself stuck in a lie (that they were best friends) and that lie keeps getting bigger until it becomes out of control. It can be a hard watch at times but its instantly recognisable soundtrack (with songs including Waving Through a Window, For Forever, Sincerely, Me and You Will Be Found) is arguably what makes this musical so popular.
We’re curious about how the set will bring the story together. Much of Dear Evan Hansen centres around social media and how it can be used to connect people. A changing backdrop, drop down screens, sliding doors and seamlessly manoeuvred furniture blend the digital world with reality.
Ryan Kopel shines as Evan Hansen. He throws everything he has into his musical numbers, conveying so many emotions – it’s not easy with the amount of solos he has! His performance of Waving Through a Window is met with an applause you’d expect at the end of a show, and that’s just the second number in act one. It’s followed by For Forever and we’re amazed. Ryan doesn’t miss a beat and has the audience in the palm of his hand.
The complex narrative of this story means you find yourself battling with whether what Evan is doing is good or bad, and it surely has to be draining for Ryan to display this guilt, anxiety and panic whilst belting out these tracks perfectly. We wouldn’t blame him for slowing the pace at the end of act one. But during You Will Be Found (with support from the fantastic ensemble) he almost blew the roof off Sunderland Empire. This is the first production of Dear Evan Hansen in the UK to perform the show with an ensemble and it’s a treat.
In act two, Evan’s lies start to unravel and it’s a seriously emotional watch. Ryan breaks hearts with Words Fail, which quickly moves into a deeply emotional performance of So Big/So Small courtesy of the talented Alice Fearn as Evan’s mum, Heidi. It’s interrupted only by sniffing audience members who are wiping away their tears throughout the theatre.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Tom Dickerson brings so much joy and sass to his role of Jared, and Killian Thomas Lefevre is playful with his portrayal of the ghost of Connor. Each cast member faultlessly and sensitively take to their roles and we feel everything they’re feeling.
With important messages about mental health and social media, Dear Evan Hansen is a must-see for any musical lover, just don’t blame us when the songs are still stuck in your head weeks later.
Dear Evan Hansen plays at Sunderland Empire until Saturday 23rd November.
