By Kira Forber
I had the privilege of being #invited to the opening night of Dear Evan Hansen, and my first experience at New Theatre Oxford couldn’t have been better! A complimentary drinks reception and a phenomenal central view of the stage, I was in the best position possible to enjoy the theatrical masterclass that this performance delivers.
Entering the show blind, I was not at all prepared for the raw, emotional intensity displayed by the entire cast. Ryan Kopel’s standout performance as the eponymous character was rooted in a tangible vulnerability – whilst Evan is not always the easiest character to support (my hands covered my eyes at several points reflexively), there is something so innately human about his anxious attempts to do right in an unthinkable situation. Clearly well-intentioned, he stutters through life with a much-repeated apology and a desire to connect that charms not only Zoe, but the entire audience too.
Well-needed comic relief was abundant in the performances especially of Tom Dickerson’s Jared and Killian Thomas Lefevre’s Connor Murphy, most potently when Jared attempts to emulate the spirit of Connor, in fact. Balancing those slapstick, teenage moments with a commitment to truly encapsulating what it means to grieve someone difficult, the show produced haunting dialogue regarding how truly to come to terms with such torment. By the time of So Big/So Small, (a personal standout from me, with incredibly impressive vocals from Alice Fearn), there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
The orchestra were incredible, paying complete justice to the deeply personal and at times devastating soundtrack that accompanies this musical. Committed to portraying such issues as suicide, depression, anxiety, the exploration of this throughout the plot transcends one sub-group. So convincing were the performances from the parental characters, I felt their anxieties about being “enough” and a “good” parent deeply to my core, despite being nineteen years old and childless.
Despite the anguish of its subject at times, Dear Evan Hanseninstils a sense of hope for the future, and my tear-stained face left smiling. Its profundity will stay with me for a long time. if you haven’t already, please go and see the show (but bring tissues!!!).
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