Review: Dear Evan Hansen UK tour

Just as Spring Awakening took a generation of young musical theatre students under its wing, so too does Dear Evan Hansen, the 2016 hit musical currently touring the UK. Exploring similarly knotty themes of suicide, social politics and the enduring struggles of trying to ‘fit in’, this musical will offer plenty for discussion among older school students.

The story centres around the eponymous character of Evan (Ryan Kopel) – incidentally offering some of the most assured vocal performances here – as he faces high-school torment as a socially anxious student with no close friends. He becomes unintentionally internet famous after becoming entangled in a well-meaning lie following the suicide of a classmate named Connor, who is brought back to life by Killian Thomas Lefevre. Evan navigates this complicated new world, eventually forced to confront the truth and reassess his relationship with his peers, his girlfriend – played sensitively and confidently by Lauren Conroy – and his mum, Heidi.