Review: Dear Evan Hansen, UK Tour, at the Palace Theatre, Manchester

Even though it feels like yesterday, it will soon be 9 years since Dear Evan Hansen played on Broadway... yeah, I know. The first big show to garner attention since Hamilton dropped has been out on the road across the UK for the past few months. 

This is one I have not seen before; well I have and I haven't. I saw the film adaptation when it was released, but I have to admit it wasn't the best. However, I have never seen it on stage before. At the time it was in London, I prioritised other shows to see and decided to wait until it was on tour. The time has now come, as it has been playing at Manchester's Palace Theatre this past week. 

 Dear Evan Hansen is a heavier musical than you perhaps think, tackling mental health, family and grief

Written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen follows highschooler Evan, who gets caught up in a lie, following the suicide of a fellow classmate. It explores how much a lie can spin out of control, about how social media can be used for good and for not, and teenage anxieties. 

Part of Dear Evan Hansen's appeal is the fact that it is completely original; it is not based off any previous project. For an original show such as this to garner huge acclaim like that is incredibly admirable. Pinning the reason why on one single thing is tricky. One could be its young look and honest look at teenage anxiety (albeit not perfect). Another is definitely the music, stirring up huge emotions. 

This is perfectly explained in the Act 1 closer You Will Be Found, a song I have performed in choir a couple of years ago. It is stirring to perform, and it is almost chilling to watch performed live. Not only from the context of the song, but seeing this cast perform those harmonies live gave me shivers I knew could not have come from the Palace's limited legroom... 

To turn to this particular production itself, you may be surprised to discover that it is not the original production at all; but a brand new one conceived by Nottingham Playhouse. It's similar to the original (from the clips on YouTube I have seen of it), but the main one that's immediate is that the cast has grown. Rather than stick to the sole cast of eight on stage, there is a small ensemble who move props around, and add harmonies and movement to numbers such as Disappear and Waiving Through A Window to name just two. It works; because with their voices, Evan feels more isolated and alone. 

With the small cast, Ryan Kopel (Newsies) is vulnerable, and you root for him despite him taking the completely wrong approach to the situation. But the standout has to be Alice Fearn (Come From Away, Wicked), who played Evans mother, Heidi Hansen. 

Heidi is an overworked mother, trying her best, even though she does not get everything right. Fearn gets two big chances to show off what she can do, both in the second act. In Good For You, she blew the roof off, as those who saw her as Elphaba and Beverley Bass know she is capable of doing. Then for So Big, So Small, she does the complete opposite. It is an example of a quiet song having so much strength. You could have heard a pin drop her sing it, as well as every sniffle. I must also highlight Will Forgrave, who understudied the role of Connor, acting as an almost-spectre figure in the background, watching to see what Evan does next. 

Do I think everyone will enjoy Dear Evan Hansen? Not sure. There is a crowd out there that now deems it a bit overrated. 

But despite that, do I think you should try it? Absolutely yes. 

I'm not going to deny that this is not the easiest show for everyone, but it is an important show I think everyone should try at least once. For one thing, this is a perfect pick for teenagers, preferably with their parents so they can start those conversations. 

Dear Evan Hansen has since finished its run in Manchester, but the tour is running across the country until July, ending in Edinburgh.