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Book by Steven Levenson | Music & Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul | Directed by Adam Penford
The King's Theatre, Glasgow | 27 February 2025
Production photos: Marc Brenner
Dear Evan Hansen UK Tour 2025 review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Today is going to be an amazing day. And here’s why…
The brand-new Nottingham Playhouse production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning Broadway Best Musical, Dear Evan Hansen, has arrived in Glasgow.
The much-anticipated Scottish premier of the UK Tour sees Scottish actor Ryan Kopel take on the lead role of Evan Hansen, a socially anxious, timid and depressed 17 year old who wants nothing more than to fit in.
Evan's therapist suggests that he writes a letter to himself detailing what will be good about each day... He begins to write that letter "Dear Evan Hansen..." and when done, sends it to print on the school computer-lab printer. Loner outcast Connor Murphy (Killian Thomas Lefevre) finds Evan's letter, and angry that it mentions his sister Zoe (Lauren Conroy) storms out of the room taking the letter with him.
A few days later, Connor's parents (Helen Anker and Richard Hurst) ask to meet with Evan. Their son has died by suicide, and they mistakenly believe that the letter they've found in his pocket is his suicide note written to his best friend Evan Hansen. Unable to find the words to correct them at a time of tremendous grief, Evan becomes caught up in an elaborate web of lies and deceptions that snowball out of control.
Despite the dark and complex catalyst in this story - the suicide of a teenage boy - Dear Evan Hansen is surprisingly funny and uplifting. The book doesn't dwell on the suicide event. We don't see it acted out on stage nor hear many details about it other than the letter was found in Connor's pocket. Dear Evan Hansen is the story of a boy who gets himself into some really tricky situations after the dreadful event.
Of course there are sombre moments and more than a few heartfelt, important messages and songs about trust, family, love and legacy, but I find it all to be well balanced and sensitively handled. The central characters are high-school-age teenagers, and the theme of belonging and being popular is omnipresent. It's a stark reminder of what a truly awful time high school can be for some kids, and how nowadays the internet amplifies everything.
Much of the humour in Dear Evan Hansen comes from Evan's own reactions to his predicaments, and from his best friend Jared (the incredible Tom Dickerson) who makes fun of Evan's every ridiculous move. As best friends tend to do!
A fabricated version of Connor Murphy also appears throughout the show in Evan and Jared's minds. Together the three boys are sensational. Their comic timing is outstanding. My favourite parts of the show - which is a musical brimming with knockout numbers - is "Sincerely Me." I cannot think of more perfect casting than Dickerson and Lefevre to fulfill these iconic supporting roles.
The casting team have also hit the bullseye with the casting of the parents, and it's a delight to see the sensational Alice Fearn on a UK tour. Also hugely impressive is Lauren Conroy as Connor's sister and Evan's love interest Zoe Murphy.
This is the first production of Dear Evan Hansen in the UK to perform the show with an ensemble and it works well. The company are incredibly strong individually but their harmonies are gorgeous.
Amidst such a strong and experienced cast Ryan Kopel shines. He's a funny, nervous and wholly sympathetic Evan Hansen and his voice is gorgeous, rich in tone and powerful when it needs to be. This is a confident, charismatic and truly stunning performance from Kopel, and his chemistry with the entire cast is sublime.
Packed with superb songs like 'Waving Through a Window', 'Requiem' and 'You Will be Found' - one of the best musical theatre songs of the last decade - Dear Evan Hansen's score is a strong one. Especially when played with such beautiful musicality as is done here by the live band. But this musical is front loaded with all of the big hitters appearing in Act One. Act Two is an altogether more sombre, quiet affair.
In my experience, on both occasions I've seen this production now, by act two the audience are hanging on every word from the stage, attentive and consumed by the story. It makes sense that the mood becomes more serious to mirror the growing weight of Evan's worsening situation.
There is not much in the way of sets for Dear Evan Hansen but the stage is full of interest thanks to sliding screen panels and video boards that come to life to represent internet chatter. With gorgeous lighting and projections that are not overused, this whole production feels clean and modern.
Nothing else is needed really. And that's where this musical excels: the power of the storytelling, direction, music and cast is enough.
Dear Evan Hansen is a heartfelt, sometime hilarious piece of modern musical theatre. It won't have you dancing in the aisles, but it may make you want to hold your family and friends a little tighter. I thought it was stunning.
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Dear Evan Hansen is at Glasgow's King's Theatre from 25 February to 1 March 2025, but it is SOLD OUT, so grab your tickets for Aberdeen in March and Edinburgh Playhouse in July 2025. Find UK tour listings and tickets here
Dear Evan Hansen UK tour cast
Ryan Kopel - Evan Hansen
Lauren Conroy - Zoe Murphy
Alice Fearn - Heidi
Helen Anker - Cynthia Murphy
Richard Hurst - Larry Murphy
Killian Thomas Lefevre - Connor Murphy
Tom Dickerson - Jared Kleinman
Vivian Panka - Alana Beck
Sonny Monaghan - alternate Evan Hansen
Ensemble: Lara Beth-Sas, Will Forgrave, Daniel Forrester, Jessica Lim, Sonny Monaghan and Olivia-Faith Kamau..
Scottish actor Ryan Kopel (Newsies) from Kirriemuir, Angus will play the iconic role of Evan Hansen. Ryan attended the Dance School of Scotland and made his West End debut in The Inheritance at the Young Vic in 2018 before joining the ensemble of The Book of Mormon in 2020. Since then he has performed at the Edinburgh International Festival in a concert production of West Side Story and appeared in HBO's House of the Dragon as Ser Aeron Bracken.
Starring alongside Ryan will be Lauren Conroy (Into The Woods) as Zoe Murphy and Alice Fearn (Wicked, Come From Away) as Evan’s mum, Heidi. They will be joined by Helen Anker (Mamma Mia!) as Cynthia Murphy, Richard Hurst (The Lion King) as Larry Murphy, Killian Thomas Lefevre (Bat Out Of Hell) as Connor Murphy, Tom Dickerson (Heathers) as Jared Kleinman, Vivian Panka (9 to 5 the Musical) as Alana Beck and Sonny Monaghan (discovered via TikTok) as alternate Evan.
Director Adam Penford said “I am beyond thrilled with the talented cast we have assembled. An exciting mix of musical theatre legends and rising stars. It's been nine years since the original show premiered, and it's an honour to be the first production to reimagine this powerful story through a contemporary lens.”
Dear Evan Hansen UK tour - Scotland dates 2025
The first ever UK Tour of Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning BEST MUSICAL Dear Evan Hansen will play at Glasgow's King's Theatre from 25 February to 1 March 2025, and at Edinburgh Playhouse from 1 - 5 July 2025.
TUESDAY 25 – SATURDAY 1 MARCH 2025
King’s Theatre, Glasgow
TUESDAY 4 – SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2025
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
TUESDAY 1 - SATURDAY 5 JULY 2025
Edinburgh Playhouse
All UK tour dates at atgtickets.com/DEH
Find Lisa in the Theatre on Instagram @lisa_inthetheatre
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