Review: Dear Evan Hansen - North East Musical & Dramatic Society

Society name: North East Musical & Dramatic Society

Show name: Dear Evan Hansen

Adjudicator date of attendance: 21/04/2026

North East Musical & Dramatic Society’s production of Dear Evan Hansen was an emotionally intelligent and carefully crafted interpretation of a challenging contemporary musical. Exploring themes of grief, anxiety, loneliness, social pressure, and the desperate need for connection, the piece requires considerable emotional honesty from both cast and creative team. Happily, this production approached the material with sensitivity, restraint, and a clear understanding of the emotional heart of the story.

One of the production’s greatest strengths was its refusal to overplay the drama. Instead, quieter moments were allowed space to breathe naturally, resulting in storytelling that felt genuine and grounded. The emotional impact came not from forced sentimentality, but from the honesty of the performances and the sincerity of the staging. The audience was trusted to sit with uncomfortable emotions, and the result was a production that felt authentic and deeply human.

Director Niamh McGowan handled the material with impressive care and maturity. The pacing of the production was particularly effective, maintaining a constant sense of movement that reflected Evan’s spiralling situation and mounting anxiety. Scene transitions flowed seamlessly into one another. There was a strong sense of cohesion throughout, with every element of the production appearing to work toward the same emotional and visual vision. Character relationships were exceptionally well developed. The Murphy family felt entirely believable as a household fractured by grief, while Evan’s relationship with his mother carried a painful authenticity that grounded much of the emotional storytelling. Smaller moments and interactions also felt thoughtfully considered, suggesting careful rehearsal work and a strong understanding of the emotional world of the play across the company.

Musically, the production was equally accomplished. Shane McVicker’s musical direction captured both the intimacy and emotional sweep of Pasek and Paul’s score. The orchestra produced a rich and atmospheric sound throughout the evening, with the strings adding an especially haunting quality that suited the emotional tone of the piece perfectly. The balance between orchestra and performers was very well managed, allowing the vocals to remain clear without losing the texture and support of the instrumentation. Tempo choices were carefully judged, helping maintain the excellent pacing established by the direction. Musical transitions supported the emotional flow of the piece effectively, and the score consistently felt connected to the action unfolding on stage. Principal vocals were strong throughout, while the ensemble produced a remarkably full and cohesive sound despite the relatively small company size. Harmonies were polished and well blended, and diction remained consistently clear.

Caitlin Rooney’s choreography and movement direction also suited the material extremely well. Dear Evan Hansen is not a traditionally dance-heavy musical, but movement remains crucial in shaping atmosphere and maintaining rhythm. The choreography here was grounded, contemporary, and emotionally connected to the storytelling. Rather than overcomplicating the movement vocabulary, the production focused on naturalistic physical storytelling that integrated smoothly into the world of the piece. The ensemble movement sequences helped maintain momentum throughout the evening, and transitions were executed with confidence and precision. The movement never felt mechanical or over-rehearsed, despite the obvious discipline and preparation behind it. Instead, the choreography retained an emotional spontaneity that complemented the naturalistic tone of the production very effectively.

In the title role, Gavin Murphy delivered a committed and emotionally charged performance as Evan Hansen. He captured the character’s social anxiety, discomfort, and desperate need for belonging with a clear understanding of the role’s complexity. Vocally, he handled the demanding score confidently, with particularly strong control through transitions into head voice. His singing carried genuine emotional weight, especially during the more introspective moments of the show. At times, the emotional intensity remained at a consistently heightened level, and allowing a little more stillness or vulnerability in quieter moments could create even greater contrast and make some of the larger emotional peaks land more powerfully. However, the sincerity of the portrayal was never in doubt. Importantly, Gavin ensured that Evan remained sympathetic despite the character’s increasingly questionable choices, portraying him not as manipulative, but as a lonely young man trapped by his own mistakes.

Grace Nolan gave a beautifully understated performance as Zoe Murphy. Her portrayal felt entirely believable, with emotions always seeming to simmer quietly beneath the surface. She captured Zoe’s complicated grief and emotional exhaustion with great subtlety, particularly in scenes involving her family. Her chemistry with Evan felt sincere and organic, and their developing relationship unfolded naturally across the evening. Vocally, Grace sang with warmth and emotional honesty, while her acting remained grounded and thoughtful throughout. She handled Zoe’s emotional journey with impressive restraint, allowing the character’s gradual development to emerge naturally.

Ruairi Nicholl brought considerable depth to the role of Conor Murphy. Often a difficult character to fully realise due to the fragmented nature of his appearances, Conor here felt vivid, volatile, and emotionally layered. Ruairi captured the anger and unpredictability of the troubled teenager without allowing the performance to become one-note. Moments of vulnerability beneath the aggression were carefully revealed, adding real humanity to the character. Vocally, he delivered a strong and emotionally detailed performance, with excellent phrasing and control. His songs carried both intensity and sensitivity, making Conor feel far more than simply a symbolic figure within Evan’s imagination.

Adam Lynagh provided much of the production’s comic energy as Jared Kleinman. His performance struck an excellent balance between humour and underlying affection, ensuring that Jared remained entertaining without tipping into caricature. Adam’s comic timing was very strong, and he injected tremendous pace and life into his scenes. Beneath the humour, there was also a clear sense of Jared’s own insecurity and loyalty, which added a welcome dimension to the role. Vocally, he blended confidently within the ensemble and maintained a lively stage presence throughout.

Among the supporting performances, Jenny McCabe gave one of the evening’s most emotionally affecting portrayals as Heidi Hansen. Her performance was heartfelt, raw, and deeply truthful. She captured the exhaustion and emotional strain of a single mother trying desperately to support her son while balancing financial pressures and personal stress. Her scenes with Evan carried enormous emotional authenticity, filled with love, frustration, fear, and helplessness in equal measure. What made the performance particularly moving was its restraint. Jenny allowed the emotion to emerge naturally rather than forcing it, making her quieter moments especially powerful. Vocally, she sang with tremendous sincerity and emotional clarity, anchoring much of the production’s emotional reality. “So Big / So Small” was one of the emotional highlights of the performance.

Carol McCourt brought warmth and emotional intelligence to Cynthia Murphy. Her portrayal of grief felt nuanced and deeply personal, and she adjusted her interactions subtly depending on which character she was sharing the stage with. Her scenes with Zoe carried a very different emotional quality to those with Evan, demonstrating a strong understanding of relationships and emotional dynamics. Her vocals blended beautifully within the ensemble. “Anybody Have A Map” was delivered with sensitivity and vulnerability. Her performance gave Cynthia dignity, humanity, and emotional depth.

Ian Rountree delivered a thoughtful and restrained portrayal of Larry Murphy. His quieter approach to grief created an effective contrast within the Murphy family dynamic, and his more internalised emotional responses felt entirely believable. His scenes with Evan, particularly during “To Break In A Glove,” were handled with warmth and sincerity, allowing the emotional simplicity of the scene to resonate strongly.

Aoife Parkes gave a confident and energetic performance as Alana Beck. She captured the character’s determination and social awkwardness very effectively, while also revealing the insecurity beneath the bravado. This prevented the character from becoming overly abrasive and added welcome empathy to the portrayal. Her stage presence was vibrant throughout, and she integrated strongly within the company vocally.

The ensemble made an enormous contribution to the success of the production. Scene transitions were handled with impressive fluidity, often blending almost invisibly into the action itself. This required considerable discipline and focus from the company and helped maintain the production’s excellent pacing throughout. Vocally, the ensemble created a rich and cohesive sound, with clear diction and strong harmonies consistently supporting the principals. Movement sequences were performed with energy and precision, and the ensemble remained fully engaged within the world of the show at all times.

Visually, the production embraced simplicity very effectively. The use of curved risers for the orchestra integrated the band naturally into the overall aesthetic, while the downstage risers and simple furniture pieces allowed scenes to transition smoothly and efficiently. The design never became cluttered or distracting, which suited the intimate nature of the piece perfectly. The projection design was especially impressive, adding enormously to the atmosphere and storytelling. The visuals were stylish, modern, and extremely well executed, while the cueing remained sharp and accurate throughout. Stage management from Gavin Quigley and Sadhbh Finegan was highly polished, with transitions executed smoothly and confidently across the evening.

Lighting design proved to be one of the standout technical elements of the production. The lighting states created striking stage pictures and supported the emotional storytelling beautifully, particularly during “You Will Be Found,” which was visually stunning. The separation of performance areas was handled thoughtfully and clearly. There were a handful of moments where moving lights tracking performers did not land perfectly, but these were very minor issues within an otherwise excellent lighting design. Sound design was also very strong. The balance between orchestra and vocals remained clear and controlled throughout, while the strings retained their warmth and texture within the mix. Principal vocals sat clearly above the ensemble when required, while still blending naturally during larger company numbers.

Costuming was thoughtfully styled and highly appropriate to both the characters and the contemporary setting. Each character felt visually distinct without appearing overly stylised, and the realistic costume choices supported the naturalistic tone of the production very effectively. Hair and make-up were similarly well handled, maintaining consistency and realism throughout.

Front of house also contributed positively to the overall experience of the evening. The audience was welcomed warmly, and there was a clear sense of professionalism surrounding the event.

Overall, North East Musical & Dramatic Society should be extremely proud of this production of Dear Evan Hansen. It was emotionally mature, musically accomplished, and thoughtfully staged throughout. The company approached difficult subject matter with compassion and sincerity, creating a production that felt honest, moving, and deeply connected to the emotional reality of the material. Supported by strong performances, polished technical work, and clear artistic vision, this was a highly successful interpretation of a challenging contemporary musical.