REVIEW: DEAR EVAN HANSEN @ THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

🎭 Dear Evan Hansen

📍 The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR 

🗓 Tuesday 16th April 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THEATRICAL PERFECTION

This is going to be a good review, and here's why. Simply put, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is a beautiful piece of theatre and one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen. I was a fan of the show after seeing it during its West End run, but somehow the tour has elevated the production into the stratosphere.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN is playing all this week at Theatre Royal Plymouth and is a sensational musical theatre production. The show deals with difficult subjects, such as social anxiety, depression, drug use and suicide, and even highlights the difficulties in getting help with these issues.

It is a hard watch at times, especially for anyone who has had any experience with these issues, but what shines through is the honesty and sensitivity. There is no sugar coating here and the production hits you in the gut full-throttle, and makes no apologies for doing so.

There is something socially important about DEAR EVAN HANSEN. The response this show has had from audiences worldwide shows just how deeply it resonates with people, and whether you're watching it for the first time or the tenth, tissues are a must-have accessory.

As he tries to work out how he fits in to the world around him, Evan becomes inadvertently entwined in the fallout of a fellow student's suicide. As a simple lie to help heal his grieving family spirals out of control, Evan struggles to confront the consequences of his actions and feels he has nowhere to turn as the lie gets deeper.

Ryan Kopel is absolutely breathtaking as the socially anxious Evan. He gives his absolute all and draws the audience in with his gloriously raw performance. The purity and sincerity he brings to the character is sensational. You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium as he almost entranced me and my fellow patrons with his perfect depiction of Evan's vulnerability. He lived every moment and his sublime vocals were the icing on the cake. This feels like a career-defining role for Kopel as he gives what is, in my humble opinion, the musical theatre performance of the year.

The entire company are phenomenal and it is always an honour to witness the incredible talent of Alice Fearn on stage. As Evan's mum Heidi she exquisitely portrayed the struggling parent juggling all aspects of her life with stunning realism. As the story developed my heart began to break for her as she felt she'd failed her son. The final scene between Evan and Heidi is one of the most magnificently compelling pieces of theatre I have ever seen, portrayed by two world-class performers.

Lauren Conroy, Helen Anker and Richard Hurst are all outstanding as the grieving family. The way they come to rely on Evan and almost look on him as a replacement for their loss is upsetting, but so poignant and understandable. Their performance of Requiem is a powerful look at grief and how even though they are all sharing the emotion, they are each dealing with it and accepting it in different ways.

The rest of the cast are stupendous with Killian Thomas Lefevre, Tom Dickerson and Vivian Panka all displaying astonishing talent. This is the first production of DEAR EVAN HANSEN to have ever featured an ensemble and their addition really adds to the overall depth of sound, with You Will Be Found engulfing the auditorium.

The score is by acclaimed song-writing duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and is arguably some of their best work. Every lyric has intent and meaning to it and nothing is filler. Similarly the book by Steven Levenson really understands the characters and is graceful and flows wonderfully.

This is spectacularly crafted show from start to finish. The video design aspects life the show even higher and the entire creative team have all done a sensational job.

I'm not ashamed to say that I was tearful throughout this performance, and those who know me will know that it takes quite a lot for me to show emotion. But here I was just overwhelmed with emotion as this insanely talented cast delivered a beautifully constructed show.

There really is nothing that can compare to this production of DEAR EVAN HANSEN. It is an undeniable privilege to have been in the audience last night and to be a spectator to this fantastically flawless production. Somehow 5 stars just doesn't seem enough here, and I really hope I've managed to do the show justice with this review.

If you only see one musical this year, then this is the one to see. Performances of DEAR EVAN HANSEN continue at Theatre Royal Plymouth until Saturday 19th April. Click here to check availability and to book tickets. This is not only the hottest ticket in town, but the must-see show of the century.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Dear Evan Hansen was gifted by Theatre Royal Plymouth who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Ryan Kopel as Evan Hansen; Alice Fearn as Heidi Hansen; Lauren Conroy as Zoe Murphy; Helen Anker as Cynthia Murphy; Richard Hurst as Larry Murphy; Killian Thomas Lefevre as Connor Murphy; Tom Dickerson as Jared Kleinman; Vivian Panka as Alana Beck; Sonny Monaghan as Ensemble / Alternate Evan; Lara Beth-Sas as Ensemble; Will Forgave as Ensemble; Daniel Forrester as Ensemble; Olivia-Faith Kamau as Ensemble; Jessica Lim as Ensemble

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 40 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Continuous refrences to suicide and mental health

AGE GUIDELINE:

12 +