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Dear Evan Hansen

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Four stars

 

Meet Evan Hansen. Hero and villain of Oscar winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s Tony and Olivier award winning musical with writer Steven Levenson is a socially anxious seventeen-year-old whose therapist has suggested he write a letter to himself every day. This is so he can buoy himself up for what he hypes  himself into believing can only be a great day. Or not, as it more frequently turns out, in what is effectively the sort of self help secret diary intended for Evan’s eyes only. 

 

When one of Evan’s missives is snatched from his hand by school bad boy Connor Murphy and found in the latter’s pocket after he takes a more extreme option for dealing with bad days, it is presumed Evan and Connor were best buds and confidantes. This sets in motion a series of events that go global, as Evan finds himself at the centre of an accidental fantasy that brings him the sort of attention he’s never had before. When things get out of hand, however, Evan is forced to confess all for real this time. 

 

Truth, lies and social media are at the heart of this decade old twenty-first century fable, in which mass grieving for someone you’ve never met can travel the world within seconds. It also questions how fake news can erupt unchecked, with bedroom bound loners like Evan particularly vulnerable to exploitation. With his geeky pal Jared fusing tech support and fiction writing, and lost boy Connor hanging round, Evan becomes the sort of figurehead that in less naive hands might easily fall down a very different kind of internet black hole. 

 

Adam Penford’s new production originally seen at Nottingham Playhouse stays true to the heart-warming peppiness of Pasek, Paul and Levenson’s creation in what initially looks like the ultimate high school musical. Pasek and Paul’s infectious pop bubblegum tearjerkers could easily soundtrack an entire box set of Dawson’s Creek, the turn of the century teen drama that wore its angst on its lumberjack shirt. There is a nouveau me generation appeal here too that if it hadn’t already been made into an underachieving movie, has enough material to fuel an entire Netflix limited series. 

 

If that were ever to happen, they could do a lot worse than get Ryan Kopel to revive his role as Evan. Holding the stage and driving the show for its entire two and three-quarter hours, the Kirriemuir raised actor is a wonder, relaying Evan’s every nervous tic and awkward exchange while retaining a geeky charm. As Connor, Killian Thomas Lefevre spars with Kopel to perfection, while Lauren Conroy as Connor’s sister Zoe has similar attitude aplenty. The rest of the show’s big ensemble cast, from parents to classmates, perform with fresh-faced gusto. If Evan seems to get off rather lightly at the end, he’s come of age in all sorts of ways in a gorgeously delivered rites of passage.


The Herald, February 27th 2025

 

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