Dear Evan Hansen

Opening night and boy was it a cracker. Right from the start of the action the feeling of empathy surrounded the cast and audience. This was a show that gives a powerful message, not without hope, and took the audience on an enlightened journey of different emotions.

The main characters were so well portrayed made believable by strong direction. The singing was powerful and full of emotion and the movement on stage complimented the story with its clever use of cast throughout the story. Well done Donna, Sean, Billy and Jenni.

The show centres on Evan payed magnificently by Louis McGregor. He combined a vulnerability with powerful vocals and his energy on stage kept the action flowing. His Mum (Louise Middleton) gave us a superb characterisation of a busy single Mum that I identified strongly with and her rendition of ‘So Big/So Small’ held the audience spellbound.

The other family unit comprised of the Murphy family. The story develops around their reaction to a tragic event. Connor the son, wonderfully played by Spencer Shek, is a troubled character. Spencer gave us a performance that swung from anger to pathos all enhanced by excellent singing. His sister Zoe (Madeleine Keningale), who was the love interest of Evan, was given great sweetness and understanding by Madeleine. However there was nothing soppy about this performance it displayed a young lady with courage and strength. This was a strong contrast to her parents Cynthia (Eilidh McLaren-Hussain) and Larry (Graeme Hamilton) both struggling in their own ways to come to terms with loss. We witnessed convincing emotions such as anger, grief, bewilderment and heartbreak. I was so impressed by the way these characters were developed by the actors over the play and with great vocals.

The other players in the drama were Jared (Robbie Lamond) and Alana (Connie Uribe). Jared was Evans so-so friend who helps with the deception. A character you love to hate. Robbie gave him a sneering persona with an eye on the main chance. Alana was the girl you all remember at school, the know it all, the pushy one. But underneath very lonely. Well done both of you. You had these characters off pat with lovely singing.

The chorus enhanced the action with set pieces that looked simple but I know that was not the case and the staging of them gave the music the powerful message this show deserves. I loved the slick effective set changes by the company which allowed the action to flow.

Lighting was gorgeously effective with shading and spotlights that enhanced the mood. Sound was spot on allowing the dialogue and singing to shine through. This show used a Video wall to great effect but it didn’t outshine the performances just helped the story along. The rest of the set was simple but enough to compliment and the use of the excellent props completed a perfect picture.

Well done all and thank you for the hospitality. You gave the audience a memorable experience with a fantastic team effort. Enjoy the rest of the week !!!!!

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