(AD – PRESS NIGHT) DEAR EVAN HANSEN HULL REVIEW
TUESDAY 22ND APRIL 2025 @ 7.30PM
HULL NEW THEATRE
**** 4/5
Dear Evan Hansen is one of those modern musicals that feels a bit like Marmite. I know tonnes of people who love it and others who aren’t as big a fan. Whilst the movie might be a bit iffy, seeing it on stage is a different experience. Here’s my Dear Evan Hansen Hull review from the Hull press night.
PRE-SHOW THOUGHTS
So technically, I’m cheating slightly because I’ve already seen this production on this tour. In November last year, I travelled to Leeds to see the musical but didn’t post a review. I’ve also seen the original cast in the West End back in 2020 too! I’d say Dear Evan Hansen is one of my favourite musical soundtracks, the songs are just incredible. I’ve always been impressed by the small cast because there’s usually only eight cast members in the production and they always blow the roof off.
THE CAST – THE TEENAGERS
The star of the show was Ryan Kopel as Evan Hansen. Now I find Evan such an unlikeable character but Kopel’s performance felt so authentic that he made me root for him. My highlight was his rendition of Words Fail; it was so moving and haunting that I had tears in my eyes (allergies, obviously). In fact, I could hear a few sniffles throughout the theatre too! I hope he gets some more leading roles because he’s outstanding.
Lauren Conroy as Zoe Murphy is another standout. She has a gorgeous lightness to her voice but can definitely belt out a note when needed. Hers and Kopel’s chemistry felt so natural, like two teens falling for each other for the first time.
Killian Thomas Lefevre as Conor Murphy was another standout. I always forget how much singing his role has but Lefevre has the most gorgeous tone to his voice. Again, you believe that he’s an angsty teenager and his ‘ghost’ self feels right in the story.
I’ve been a fan of Vivian Panka for a while now and as Alan Beck, this role is perfect for her. I wish she’d had more stage time as her voice is one of my favourites in the industry. Having seen her in both 9 to 5 and Heathers, I’m so excited for her musical theatre career to take off.
The first of tonight’s understudies was Will Forgrave on as Jared Kleinman. I’ve always thought this was probably the funniest character to play and Forgrave does a great job here. He definitely added some much-needed humour to a musical that can get quite heavy at times.
THE CAST – THE ADULTS
Tonight, we saw Lara Beth-Sas as Evan’s mother, Heidi. Whilst I didn’t think she looked old enough to be the mother of a teenager, her performance felt pretty authentic. I particularly enjoyed her rendition of So Big/So Small. Many musical theatre ballads require lots of belting and this one is much softer. I found Beth-Sas very endearing as Heidi.
Helen Anker and Richard Hurst as Cynthia and Larry Murphy are well-meaning and believable as a couple. Sure, they have their issues but you do feel like you’re seeing two parents navigating through the grief of losing their son. I’m always surprised that Larry gets a solo number but not Cynthia. I know people don’t love To Break in a Glove but I find it to be an endearing number.
THE PRODUCTION
Let’s start with my favourite parts: the soundtrack set design. The soundtrack is undeniably the highlight of Dear Evan Hansen and is one of my most-played musical albums. This cast blows it out of the water with their voices added to the iconic songs, there’s nothing like hearing this soundtrack live on a stage.
The set design is very modern with screens around the stage and I particularly love the glass screens towards the back of the stage. Normally, I like to see more in times of set design but I actually thought the simplicity worked well with the show.
One main issue I have with this production is the ensemble. Whilst they do a great job in terms of dance, vocals and prop moving, I’m not sure an ensemble is needed. They’re not on stage too much and the use of contemporary dance to some of the songs doesn’t quite work for me.
I also thought the lighting was a bit of an issue for me at times. The stage for the most part is pretty dim with just a few spotlights focusing on the actors, which I liked. However, at several points, there was almost a whoosh of bright lights that quite frankly, gave me a headache. The music and vocals added to the dramatics without the need for super bright lights in my face.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re a fan of the soundtrack, it’s really exciting to see it come to life on stage, especially with this exceptional cast. These eight to twelve voices have more power than I’ve seen in some musicals with double the cast size. Every leading role is perfectly cast and will stick with you on the journey home and for longer. Whilst the production side of the show left a little to be desired for me, you cannot fault the performers on stage in any way.
If you enjoyed this review of Dear Evan Hansen Hull review, you can catch it on tour until July, with the tour dates here. You can also read all of my other theatre reviews right here. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok too.
