‘Today is going to be a good day’ and it certainly is a good day coming out of the new tour production of Dear Evan Hansen at the Wales Millennium Centre. The new production has a lot to live up to; a decade of productions since its first performance in July 2015. There has certainly been a huge number of changes for the world since the debut of the show too, with a pandemic lockdown, international conflicts which are still yet to be resolved and political and financial instability. Certainly, with all this ongoing, the themes tackled in the musical are more important than ever; the NHS regularly reports an increase in mental health issues with young people and in fact, the suicide rate in 2023 was the highest it’s been since 1999.

Having said all that, you may be inclined to think that the show is a fairly depressing affair, and it definitely has its moments of being on an emotional rollercoaster; I found myself in floods of tears at several points! However, the main mantra of the show signs through in its stunning score penned by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (their impressive back catalogue includes work on La Land and The Greatest Showman), with stunning lines such as ‘you are not alone,’ ‘let the sun come streaming in’ and of course, the iconic, ‘you will be found.’ Based on a true story that occurred during Benj Pasek’s school years, I particularly love the fact that the characters, although likeable, are morally grey. They are so real and human that they bound from the stage and force us to look at our own decisions and life choices. It also truly emphasises that theme of ‘connection’ and that we all touch one another’s lives, sometimes without even intending to.

Therefore, this production has a lot to live up to! And it does so, with absolute ease, stamping its own new identity on the legacy of the musical. Starting with set, video design and lighting, (Morgan Large on set, costume and video, Ravi Deepres also on video and Matt Daw on lighting), I must say, that this production absolutely sets the bar and then smashes it. The way that this design all comes together and seamlessly integrates with performers on stage in a truly breathtaking way. There were several moments where I found myself with my mouth literally hanging open; from the moving ‘windows’ that have Evan literally waving through them, the ‘sun’ filling the whole stage as Evan sings ‘I climb ‘til the entire sun shines on my face,’ and the stunning montage of online footage as we hear ‘You Will Be Found,’ these moments are visually stunning and will stay in my mind for a long time. Huge congratulations to the team, they have created a truly stunning visual production with a very minimalist stage which enhances the performers rather than detract from them.

The small, but mighty, cast and ensemble of 14 certainly deserves the highest of praise. The ensemble creates beautiful tableaus and choreography (a credit to Choreographer, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille) and the chorus singing is stunning. The whole cast is wonderful, but I must make special mention to a few of them. Alice Fearn is a seasoned performer and having seen her portray Beverley Bass in Come from Away, I knew she’d be incredible as Evan’s mother, Heidi. She does not disappoint; ‘Good for You’ is gritty, angry and powerful and she flips it completely with a poignant, heart-breaking performance of ‘So Big/So Small.’ The true show stealer though is Ryan Kopel playing the titular Evan. I do not exaggerate when I say that his portrayal of Evan is phenomenal. His voice soars over the score with truly stunning emotional and lightness of touch in places and a powerhouse, emotional belt when required. His acting is a masterclass; he is instantly endearing and highly likeable immediately and he had me in tears from the beginning; from ‘Waving Through a Window’ to the showstopper of ‘Words Fail,’ where you truly could have heard a pin drop in the Wales Millennium Centre. They are joined by Lauren Conray as Zoe Murphy, Helen Anker as Cynthia Murphy and Richard Hurst as Larry Murphy, who exceptionally show the grief, or not, of the Murphy family; Killian Thomas Lefevre as Connor, who had me in absolute stitches in ‘Sincerely, Me’ and Tom Dickerson as Jared Kleinman and Vivian Panka as Alana Beck who bring brilliant vocals and fantastic humour to their roles.

The day you watch the newest production of Dear Evan Hansen is going to be a good day and here’s why…it breathes fresh life into an already beautiful show, elevates the score, brings moments of stillness and poignancy to the libretto and shows touring productions what can be achieved with simple yet impressive set, video and lighting design. It’s an important show for everyone to see; yes, the themes are hard hitting and you will find yourself emotionally drained by the end, but you’ll also find yourself uplifted, reaffirmed and knowing that even when things go wrong, when life seems its darkest, that we are connected, not alone and that, ‘you will be found.’