Dear Evan Hansen – Storyhouse Chester

An Emotional Roller-Coaster – It’ll Make Your Spine Tingle!

There’s no doubt that composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have a formula for success with The Greatest Showman and Lala Land as part of their catalogue and Dear Evan Hansen is another award-winning musical hit. It premiered on Broadway in 2016, followed by a film and endless theatre tours and it has found a solid following of fans, of which there were many in the audience last night. A standing ovation to rapturous applause.

It’s an emotional rollercoaster with moments of grief, love, laughter and sympathy and those ‘sweet spots’ in the melodies make the hairs on your arm stand up and your spine tingle.

For those who haven’t stumbled across this wonderful show before, it’s the story of a socially anxious teenager who feels invisible.  When a classmate, Connor, takes his own life, a series of misunderstandings lead to Connor’s family believing Evan was his best friend, resulting in Evan feeling wanted and appreciated but the deception escalates and spirals out of control. Evan must in the end face the consequences. It’s a very nuanced story dealing with the complex relationships between Evan and his mother, Connor’s family and Connor’s sister Zoe but also deals with the power of social media and explores the issues of exploiting tragedy for a sense of purpose.

Steven Levenson’s book compliments the music, it manages to pack in this complex narrative within its songs, making us really understand what Evan feels and why it all happened.  Evan has carried his own secret tragedy but worked his way through it because of Connor’s death. A boy he hardly knew but who gave him the confidence to find himself.

Ryan Kopel’s Evan is so well observed, giving us the awkward but well-meaning boy, lonely because of his absent father and a mother who has to work all hours to make ends meet.  Kopel is not only a great actor, but his singing voice is mesmerizing as he draws us in to his emotion. His relationship with Zoe is tender and believable. Lauren Conroy’s Zoe is mature and controlled to balance his sensitive energy. Strong performances from Alice Fearn as his mum, Helen Anker and Richard Hurst as Connor’s Parents. But it’s the younger teenage roles who give the most vitality and fun. Tom Dickerson’s Jared provided the energetic and infectious comedy. The delightful but serious Alana is played by Vivian Panka who gives a memorable performance. Killian Thomas Lefevre as Connor, who for most of the show is dead and in Evan’s imagination, gives a really engaging performance but personally, I’d ditch the white make-up – we know he’s dead!  It was too theatrical. The small ensemble of singers/dancers complete this talented line-up.

What makes this a great theatre experience is not only the songs and performances but the technical production. Director Adam Penford heads up an impressive team who make this come alive with sliding sets, mirrors, images and video technology that literally fills the stage with wonder. Morgan Large’s design of set, costumes and video, presumably in collaboration with LX/Video Head, George Malin and deputy Bex Bridges brings the magic to a wall of vision. A massive technical and production team delivers this with slick precision and spectacle.

Musical director Michael Bradley leads a band of extraordinary musicians, heard but not seen, nevertheless appreciated.   The dozen or so songs range from ballads to rock/pop and a couple of more novelty storytelling pieces but of course the hit which most will know is “You will be Found” It’s almost an anthem. The build of harmonies and the message of hope touches the heart and gives us chills – it’s universally uplighting. Although the show is long, I really wanted one more reprise of that at the end for the finale to make the journey feel complete.

This show runs till Saturday 22^nd March then continues its national tour.

Tickets can be booked. www.storyhouse.com Not to be missed!  

Reviewer: Bev Clark

Reviewed: 18th March 2025

North West End UK Rating: