“An incredible adaptation that is sure to leave you feeling both uplifted and a little exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster”
In performing ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, the University of Nottingham’s Musical Theatre Society, Musicality, become one of the first amateur theatre companies in the UK to do so. Amateur rights for the production, which covers hard-hitting themes such as suicide, depression, grief and anxiety, only became available in the last year. For fans such as myself (I have seen both the original West End production, and the non-replica touring production), it is exciting to see what new directors bring to the show. Here, directors Ella Chapman and Riley Halls Backler certainly put their mark on the production, introducing an ensemble of six actors that function as voices within Evan’s head, as well as finding moments within the play’s emotional storyline to lean into the comedic aspects.
Joseph McGarel takes on the role of Evan, a teenager suffering from anxiety who is encouraged to write letters to himself by his therapist, to help build his confidence and find a way to integrate with his classmates. McGarel perfectly encapsulates Evan’s awkwardness, his social faux-pas proving to be some of the funniest moments early on, as Evan continually over-corrects himself with lots of apologies. This immediately endears us to Evan, and given the journey he is about to go on, it is important to get the audience onside. McGarel excels vocally, giving an excellent rendition of “Waving Through A Window”, although the highlight has to be “Words Fail” in the second act, which sees McGarel properly pulling on the heartstrings as Evan’s web of lies begins to collapse around him.
One of the problems that people often have with “Dear Evan Hansen” is that Evan is not the most likeable character, and his actions and motives can be seen as fairly questionable. That is intentional, of course – the musical specifically calls Evan out on this in the second act. But Musicality introduce an ensemble (Agatha Meehan, Elle Green, Georgia McKenzie, Drew Boswell, Imogen Stobart and Poppy Priest) to help us understand Evan better. They often appear in moments when Evan is alone, mouthing words along with him, and taking on different facets of his personality. When Connor (Thomas Telford) steals Evan’s therapist assignment, ensemble members show us the panic and anguish inside Evan’s head, even though Evan manages to remain calm. When Evan begins to grow close to Zoe (Izzy Seager), we see Evan’s intrusive thoughts battling with each other, some telling him to “go for it” whilst others urge him to remain cautious. These internal battles are all present in McGarel’s performance, of course, but makes for a more interesting watch when we see them visualised in this way by the ensemble.
Evan’s relationship with his mother Heidi (Ruby Hall) becomes increasingly strained, as Heidi finds herself working extra hours to make ends meet, and not always able to properly connect with her son. Hall brings a youthful energy to the role, showing us a Heidi that is desperate for a deeper connection with her son, yet struggling to find it. The chemistry between McGarel and Hall is, purposefully, awkward and standoffish – that is until the song “So Big/So Small”, when their combative emotions soften and we get a glimpse of their true bond. Hall gives perhaps the strongest vocal performance of the night, shining in both the quieter moments, which are beautifully elevated by Sam Ashcroft’s musical direction and band, and in more energetic numbers, such as “Good For You”.
Comedy mostly comes courtesy of Evan’s family-friend Jared (Charlie Higginson), who gets dragged into Evan’s lies and yet never fails to make the audience laugh with his frank analysis of the absurd situation. Whilst Jared is gifted with some of the funniest lines of the production, it is thanks to Higginson’s delivery that the role is so enjoyable to watch – especially Higginson’s reactions during “Sincerely, Me”, where Telford’s Connor performs words written by Jared. In fact, the trio of McGarel, Higginson and Telford really make this production special – the three clearly have a great friendship off the stage, and it is wonderful to see that brought to these characters.
Emily Hornsey’s Alana is manic and in-your-face, racing through lines in a desperate attempt to find some sort of purpose within the high school community. Like Jared, Hornsey has some comedic moments, yet there is an undercurrent of sadness to her performance, a clear academic excellence that never quite spills over into social skills, beautifully demonstrated in a brief reprise of “Waving through a window”. It helps us understand that, whilst Evan is the focus of the play, many of the other characters share these insecurities. The final number of the first act, “You Will Be Found”, sees the main characters again joined by ensemble members, forming a choir of sorts to perform the uplifting number. It is almost as though the characters are dropped here, the UoN students singing as themselves and bringing an extra level of sincerity to the message. The song is accompanied by a projection of lots of other people that one can only assume are other society members and UoN students, helping to broaden the sense of community that runs through this number.
Whilst the musical allows us to properly explore Evan’s emotions and inner thoughts, the Murphy family are left as mysteries, often forming the backdrop to Evan’s storyline and rarely coming to the forefront. That is why it must be commended that Seager, along with Freya Martin as Cynthia and Rory Long as Larry, manage to find so many wonderfully small moments to help tell their story, exploring different facets of their grief even when the script does not seem to allow for it. This is particularly noticeable during Long’s rendition of “To Break in a Glove”, which sees Murphy’s cold exterior slowly fall away as he sorts through Connor’s old possessions and clothes. Seager takes Zoe from a place of hate, demonstrated in the song “Requiem”, to one of regret, explored in “If I Could Tell Her”, whilst Martin’s grief often threatens to boil over, giving us a Cynthia on the edge, one step away from nervous breakdown. It is the difference in each of their approaches to Connor’s death that is most stark here. Each handles their grief in a different way, and it makes for fascinating viewing.
This being opening night, there were some technical hitches with both sound and lighting, but this does not spoil the enjoyment of what is a major achievement for Musicality. The inclusion of the ensemble feels integral to this production, yet that isn’t to say the show doesn’t know when to hold back – quieter moments are given the space they deserve, the ensemble dispatched to allow the main characters to do the heavy lifting instead. The cast and crew clearly have a deep understanding and love for the source material, and that is more than evident in their performance and attention to detail (Zoe even has stars scribbled on the cuffs of her jeans). Whether you come knowing every lyric, or are brand new to the story, this is an incredible adaptation that is sure to leave you feeling both uplifted and a little exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster.
Tom Morley, June 2026
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