Dear Evan Hansen makes its Milton Keynes debut this January

‘The idea of hope is so important’ Dear Evan Hansen makes its Milton Keynes debut later this month, as part of its much anticipated UK tour. As mentioned across the page, the story centres around high school kid Evan who desperately wants to fit in. When a classmate, Connor Murphy, himself struggling with drug abuse […] The post Dear Evan Hansen makes its Milton Keynes debut this January appeared first on MK Pulse.

‘The idea of hope is so important’

Dear Evan Hansen makes its Milton Keynes debut later this month, as part of its much anticipated UK tour.

As mentioned across the page, the story centres around high school kid Evan who desperately wants to fit in.

When a classmate, Connor Murphy, himself struggling with drug abuse and depression, scrawls his name across the cast on Evan’s broken arm, it is assumed that Connor and Evan must have been close friends when, a short time later Connor takes his own life. It’s a deceit Evan initially goes along with, and as events spiral and the truth comes out, Evan faces a reckoning with himself and everyone around him.

West End star Alice Fearn was hooked just as soon as she heard the musical score: “When Dear Evan Hansen started in America, it was one of those productions that released the album before the show had actually opened. That album quickly became a phenomenon over here too, everyone was listening to it.”

Alice – who has delivered landmark roles including Elphaba in Wicked and Captain Beverley Bass in Come From Away – was contacted around the same time about possibly taking on the role of Evan’s mother, Heidi Hansen, which is the role she will deliver here in the new city.

“I actually auditioned for the role when the show was coming to London in 2019. I’d like to think I was far too young at the time as they said, ‘No, no, no…’ to me playing the mum,” Alice explains, “Although I didn’t get the part then, that was my introduction to Heidi and I did get to grips with the script during that audition process.”

Alice is now 40 years young, and embarking on the start of her ‘mother era’, and she’s enjoying the change: “I’m known for singing big massive roles but if someone asked me to go back and do Wicked now I don’t think I would because, at 40, I don’t have the energy I had at 33,” she admits, “It’s not that I don’t want to, I just don’t think the experience would be the same.

“I base jobs on their enjoyment factor, which includes the people I’m working with. In Dear Evan Hansen everyone is absolutely adorable, the cast are lovely and funny, we all share the same work/fun ethic, there is a great team behind the scenes and a fantastic band, all these things make this a good job.”

Alice is joined on this tour by West End and Broadway familiar Helen Anker who plays the bereaved parent, Cynthia Murphy.
“If you enjoyed the film then you’ll find the stage play has so much more impact,” Helen said, “When we had our first read through of the script I realised just what a strong play it is, the dialogue is so meaty and great to perform, and then, of course, with the music on top of that, it’s phenomenal.”

The emotional nature of the piece is not just confined to the stage, for audiences too it is a heart- wrenching study on the need to belong.
“Audiences have been amazing and every audience is different, that is the joy of theatre,” Helen said, “Without exception, you can tell that they are listening and we are so close to them at points that we can actually see they are crying.

“The subject matter is close to so many people’s lives, especially if they have, or have had teenagers affected by it. That’s the great thing about parents and children coming to watch the show together, it allows them to open that conversation and if by doing that we help just one person every show, we’ve done our job.”

At its heart, Dear Evan Hansen retains an important vein of hope, as Alice is keen to highlight: “We are not trying to sugarcoat life. 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.”

See Dear Evan Hansen at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday, January 28 – Saturday, February 1.
To book tickets visit atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

The post Dear Evan Hansen makes its Milton Keynes debut this January appeared first on MK Pulse.