Dear Evan Hansen to visit the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, on first UK tour

One of the biggest musicals to hit Broadway in the past decade is making its way to theatres across the country.

Dear Evan Hansen is heading out on its first UK tour this year, including five nights in Canterbury.

The coming-of-age story follows Evan, an anxious high school student who unexpectedly puts himself at the centre of a tragedy in a desperate attempt to fit in.

The musical officially opened in New York in 2016 after a run of off-Broadway performances and quickly earned nine Tony Award nominations and won six, including Best Musical and Best Actor for Ben Platt.

The show then made its West End debut in 2019, winning a further two Olivier Awards, and was turned into a feature film in 2021, in which Grammy-nominated actor Ben reprised his role as the title character.

In the touring production, Evan Hansen will be played by Ryan Kopel.

“Ultimately, Dear Evan Hansen is about hope,” says Ryan. “No matter what happens, what you are going through, its message is that there is always someone to talk to and reasons why you should go on. That’s what I’d like people to take away from the show.”

The score is penned by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known for their work on the Greatest Showman and La La Land, and includes songs such as Waving Through a Window and You Will Be Found.

The new production, which will visit cities such as Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh, has partnered with online charity The Mix.

The charity helps young people aged under 25 deal with issues explored in the show, such as mental health, bullying and social isolation.

“We are not trying to sugar coat life,” says Alice Fearn, who plays Evan’s mum, Heidi, in the musical. “People go through times where they feel like they don’t have a place in the world and parents do struggle.

“So, even if you don’t recognise yourself in these characters, chances are you will recognise people you might know because these are real people and real problems all around us in society right now.

“That’s why, at the end of the piece, the idea of hope is so important; like these characters, while we might be going through the darkest period of our lives, there’s always a way to find a place in the world where we can live for tomorrow.”

Dear Evan Hansen is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from Tuesday, February 4 to Saturday, February 8. You can book tickets online here.

You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.