There was a real buzz in the auditorium of Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre before we’d even gone in to take our seats.
Before the curtain went up on Dear Evan Hansen, I was pretending to read my program while actually scanning the room, taking a look at who’d come out to see the multi-Tony Award-winning musical. As it turns out, it’s a show with a wide appeal.
Dear Evan Hansen made its Broadway debut in 2016 before a three-year West End run in 2019, which earned it three Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. Since then there have been productions around the world and it’s now back for its first UK tour.
As I made my way to my seat I caught snippets of conversation. People were talking about their favourite songs, their favourite characters and the moments they were most looking forward to seeing for a second, third and fourth time.
The audience was a real mix – families, older couples, groups of young adults and one guy behind me who was very obviously a superfan.
It’s a modern story about a high school boy who struggles with anxiety, has no friends, a fractured family and is looking for how he fits into the world. But his life changes when he’s caught up in a school tragedy that thrusts him into the limelight.
There might be some people who would dismiss this as a teen angst musical, but it does so much more than that.
It skilfully explores family dynamics, love, loss, grief and friendship. It has universal themes that speak to everyone, and suddenly I understood why the theatre was full of such a varied audience. There is something in this show for everyone.
It’s also easy to see why there are so many repeat offenders in – it’s a show that’s so layered and beautifully put together you could see it five times over and still notice new things every time.
The audience was along for the ride and we laughed, cried and cheered every step of the way.
To go along with the story, there are carefully crafted songs with have meaningful lyrics and catchy tunes.
Possibly the most famous of the lot is You Will Be Found, which had the superfan behind me humming along. Uninvited audience participation usually sends me into a rage but I forgave him because I found myself doing the same thing minutes later.
It’s worth mentioning the use of multimedia in this production. It’s a show set in the digital age and they seamlessly weave the use of social media and technology into the story. Telling a story about a conversation that happened between two teenagers via email out loud on stage is a tough ask, but they pull it off.
It’s a production with a relatively small cast and the character of Evan Hansen is on stage for the majority of the show.
Ryan Kopel is the Evan for this tour and he delivers an unstoppable performance. It’s an emotional and dedicated portrayal of a vulnerable teenage boy and he’s got a voice that knocks the dust off the top rafters.
A lot of the show rests on him and he carries it beautifully. When it was all over and the cast came out for their bows, we couldn’t be on our feet fast enough.
The buzz I heard while waiting to go in was nothing compared to the absolute mayhem I heard going out.
Everyone had discovered a connection with Dear Evan Hansen and was excited to talk about it. We all felt “found” and I had a sudden urge to hug a superfan.
Dear Evan Hansen is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury until Saturday, February 8. You can book tickets here.
You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.
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