Ryan Kopel Archives - North West End UK

21May

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Blackpool Grand

I spent my evening at Blackpool grand Theatre. ATG Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions present The Nottingham Playhouse Production of Dear Evan Hansen. This is my first time watching the show, I have never seen the movie and I’m not familiar with the music, I heard one of the songs on a televised concert during Covid, so other than a quick Google I was walking into this evening blind. The book by Stephen Levenson and Music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, creators of The Greatest Showman. The show premiered in 2015 followed by a movie version in 2021, Dear Evan Hansen is the recipient of six Tony Awards. This story is an exploration of complex themes including anxiety and grief with a recommended minimum age of twelve. With a focus on mental health, the majority of o...

23Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dear Evan Hansen – Hull New Theatre

Some productions are so special that theatregoers can get the gist of the story from the get go. I certainly did when Dear Evan Hansen came to the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening. Ryan Kopel in the lead role as troubled high school kid, Evan, brought the gawky, angst-ridden, awkward, nerdy, coy, friendless teen to life so perfectly, words can’t begin to describe just how talented this young actor is. Everything about Kopel’s performance kept us, in the packed theatre, spellbound, as we followed his accidental journey of lies, lies and more lies. Evan lives with his mum Heidi (Lara Beth-Sas), whose busy work schedule often means her son is left alone for long stretches of time. He’s old enough, so no big deal. Or is it? Undergoing treatment from his doctor for his social anx...

3Apr

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

West Midlands

Dear Evan Hansen – Wolverhampton Grand

The West End production of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ was one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic, forced to close 6 months into its run and then unable to gain back its momentum after its eventual re-opening, despite 3 Olivier wins (a mis-judged film adaptation released around the same time probably didn’t help either). Its fate is somewhat ironic, given the themes of isolation and longing for connection that run so deeply throughout the show, themes which were heightened during those Covid times. Fortunately, the musical has found a new lease of life with a well-received touring production which kicked off in Nottingham in September 2024. Now 6 months in, the tour has connected strongly with audiences, and rekindled the fire that burned all too briefly in the West End. ...

19Mar

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

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 fee...

19Feb

By Harry AltyNo Comments

NEWS, North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Palace Theatre

After debuting a decade ago, audiences are elated to see the hit modern-day musical Dear Evan Hansen finally grace the Manchester stage as part of a UK national tour. With an impressive cast, innovative staging and a host of earworm hits – it was clearly worth the wait. The musical follows Evan (Ryan Kopel) struggling to traverse his high-school days, he is an awkward outsider who struggles to form friendships in his often-cruel teenage years. In his efforts to fit in, Evan gets caught up in a web of lies that sees him finally be the one thing he had always desired – important. Over the runtime the show explores a range of topics from mental health, family roles and friendship all against the backdrop of a generation growing up completely immersed in the world of social media. Set de...

The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals – AO Arena

29Jan

By Abigail PendleburyNo Comments

North West

The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals – AO Arena

On 27th January the AO Arena in Manchester welcomed back The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals. Celebrating 30 years of National Lottery funding for theatre and performing arts across the UK, the event brought together an impressive lineup of West End and touring productions, as well as special guests, offering a night of unforgettable performances. Hosted by the comedic charm that is Jason Manford, the evening featured a series of show-stopping numbers that highlighted the diversity and vibrancy of contemporary musical theatre. The event opened with a ‘Supercalifragalistic’ performance from the current touring cast of Mary Poppins, setting an exhilarating tone for the night. Other show-stopping performances included a first look at Disney’s Hercules, where Luke Brady gave us a p...

14Nov

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Liverpool Empire

The classic saying always favours the book over the film of story but when a book comes off the back of a musical, then that musical has got to be next level. Dear Evan Hansen therefore comes with a calibre. The show is the blueprint that went to Broadway before Hollywood film sets and so future renditions can sometimes be overshot with assumed greatness. Instantly this performance was not that. What I noticed first was that the story was the main character rather than the individual performers which so often occurs during ‘big’ shows. I say it every time I go to the Empire, but that theatre is a big space that demands a strong stage presence. This cast were instantly electric, purposeful and slick that captured me and the packed seats three tiers high. Ryan Kopel’s Evan wa...

Dear Evan Hansen – Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

23Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Dear Evan Hansen – Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

If you were born in this new century and nestle within the demographic that favours “Glee” “Big Bang Theory” then “Dear Evan Hansen” seems designed just for you. For those of us outside that very slim group it remains an anomaly. The show itself has an undoubted pedigree having opened on Broadway in 2016 with music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul (whose credits include the glorious “The Greatest Showman” and the awful sounding “Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz”) with a book by Steven Levenson, produced by Marc Platt and starring Ben Platt - note the shared surname making lesser critics wonder if that nepo-element may go some way to explain the show’s weaknesses, but, hey, it won nine Tony Awards! The show has toured endlessly, had a long West End, a badly received film - and people love...

11Jun

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Casting announced for brand-new UK tour of Dear Evan Hansen with a little help from TikTok

The full cast is announced for the brand-new production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning Best Musical Dear Evan Hansen. Ryan Kopel (Newsies) will play the iconic role of Evan Hansen, alongside 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. This is the first production of Dear Evan Hansen in the UK to perform the show with an ensemble. The ensemble are Lara Beth-Sas, Will Forgrave, Dan...

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

14Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

Act normal. Wear a black dress or pinstripe suit. Paint your face and snap along. At the London Palladium it’s Halloween in February. Copious amounts of fog billow forth from the palatial stage and the theatre is bathed in purple light as audiences amble in, many dressed for the special occasion and already buzzing with excitement. The orchestra, unlike the assembled spirits of the dead, remains unseen but makes its presence known in a vigorous overture playing jauntily under conductor Andrew Hilton, and is energetically reinforced by a skilled ensemble dancing in choreography by Alistair David. Consistently visually interesting even as the plot stretches itself thin and tired jokes leave audiences groaning, this rendition of a mid-tier musical is nonetheless entertaining and well perfo...