Liverpool crowd relieved as show comes to close after uncomfortable act

Fidgeting in my chair at the theatre, I was relieved when act one drew to an end and the curtain closed for the interval. I was among those in the audience watching the opening night of Dear Evan Hansen at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

After the thunderous applause no longer dominated the room, it seemed I wasn’t the only one eager for a break to come in the musical. While I let out a sigh, others followed suit from the audience members in the adjoining chairs.

Dear Evan Hansen is a remarkable performance that resonates deeply with audiences, particularly in today's world, where mental health issues are increasingly recognised. The narrative follows the titular high school student as he grapples with social anxiety and inadvertently finds himself with an important role in a tragedy he did not earn.

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The opening act of the touring performance - and specifically the leading role played by Scotsman Ryan Kopel - made the audience feel uncomfortable intentionally. The young actor, who rarely left the stage, perfectly captured the essence of teenage angst and the yearning for understanding.

His restless wriggles, squirms and constant backtracking at first seem overbearing and, dare I say it, overdone. However, these quirks, which are subtly dulled down in act two, are what force your eyes to fixate on Ryan’s endearing portrayal.

The 27-year-old was shining his brightest when surrounded by the rest of the cast and the ensemble to perform the standout hits, Waving Through a Window and You Will Be Found.

The emotional depth of the tracks, both parts haunting and uplifting, only elevated the storytelling, making it relatable to anyone who has ever felt alone but yet surrounded by others.

Evan’s mum, Heidi, played by the talented Alice Fearn, brilliantly embodied the complexity of a single parent trying to support her son while managing her own challenges. Alice’s loving and caring deception was no more prominent than in her poignant rendition of So Big So Small, which ended with a well-deserved round of applause.

It would be unfair not to praise the Murphy family for their gripping execution. As instrumental as the characters are to the story’s emotional impact, Lauren Conroy, Helen Anker, Richard Hurst and Killian Thomas Lefevre are key to this four-star review.

Each member of the family showcased how drastically everyone can deal with grief and loss in different ways. Gelling together, their deceptions complimented one another like matching jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Morgan Large, the set designer, also deserves applause for his creative and imaginative design, which smartly uses sliding windows and mirrors to manipulate the on-stage action.

This includes the savvy use of tech innovations like large-scale LED panels. These panels were employed to evoke a sense of losing control and feeling overwhelmed when Evan's school speech was filmed, uploaded online, and became viral - and they achieved exactly that.

As Evan battled internally, I struggled to focus on one thing due to the amount happening. The combination of strong writing, memorable music, and poignant themes makes it a must-see performance for anyone interested in contemporary theatre.