Dear Evan Hansen
★★★★☆ Accomplished
Church Hill Theatre: Tue 9 – Sat 13 Jun 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Dear Evan Hansen, presented by Room 29 Theatre at the Church Hill, is staged with commitment and considerable skill.
The 2015 musical has music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and book by Steven Levenson. Evan is a socially anxious, isolated high school student who is mistakenly thought to have been a close friend of Connor Murphy, a fellow student who commits suicide. Evan fails to put things straight, then events spiral out of his control as Connor’s family look to him for comfort.
Sebastian Schneeberger as Evan. Pic: Alastair More.
While the stage musical has proved very popular, it also has its critics. The depiction of the central character, and the handling of some of the themes, have been regarded by some as problematic. The arrival of the (almost universally panned) movie version brought this even more sharply into focus.
However, there is more subtlety and empathy in the piece than a simple outline of the storyline might have you imagine. Whether you believe that this is a cleverly Brechtian musical about an unforgivable central character, which draws attention to the absolutely fake nature of the work’s emotional content, or a miscalculated celebration of ‘fake news’, there is actually more real feeling in here than seems possible at first.
And there are some songs that you have probably already heard, or seen in one of those ‘songs from the shows’ productions, even if you’ve never seen the musical.
very fine indeed
So it’s bound to be a popular choice now that non-professional companies can get the rights, with Room 29 being the first Edinburgh-based company to take it on. And there are many things to recommend this particular production.
Central to it is Sebastian Schneeberger’s Evan, which is very fine indeed. He manages to convey the character’s anxiety and desperation without going over the top.
Eilidh Todd and Sebastian Schneeberger. Pic: Alastair More.
A real problem with Evan’s character is that he can come across as more of an outright villain than an anti-hero, but Schneeberger manages to make the character comprehensible. There’s also a real presence and stagecraft to the performance that helps it to anchor everything. There is a compelling dramatic quality to his signature song Waving Through a Window that is very impressive.
With the aid of Neil Lavin’s lucid and sympathetic direction, the other principals also achieve dramatically coherent portrayals. Eilidh Todd gives immense sympathy to Evan’s mother Heidi, with Lyndsey McGhee and Paul Kelly-Copland utterly believable as Connor’s devastated parents.
Emma Clarkson, who plays Connor’s sister Zoe, is another thoroughly convincing performance, and her duets with Schneeberger have a genuinely emotional quality.
relish
Harrison Owens gives Connor a definite edge, while Scott Binnie (as Evan’s ‘family friend’ Jared) provides a much-needed comic element with genuine relish. Bethany Dunion, as Evan’s needy classmate Alana, has considerable dramatic and vocal impact.
There are definitely structural problems with the musical; after setting up the central premise with speed and economy, it then meanders a great deal and never comes to a satisfactory conclusion. It’s also very dialogue-heavy, with fewer songs than you would expect over nearly three hours.
Sebastian Schneeberger with Lyndsey McGhee, Emma Clarkson and Paul Kelly-Copland. Pic: Alastair More.
One of the oddest things is that it has a very small cast for such a big musical; while there is a place for an ensemble, you could easily do it without one. Only the Act One closer You Will Be Found really needs them. As a result, even when you add them to some other numbers, as Room 29 do here, you end up with an excellent chorus who go huge stretches of the action without any singing to do. Most of the time they are used as (very effective) furniture movers.
Musically, the show is extremely strong. The band, under musical director Lou Everett, are tight and energetic, and the sound (from designer Allan Hamilton) is notably clear. The singing throughout is melodic and dramatically appropriate.
Confidence
If there is a problem, it is that sometimes the old belief surfaces that the way to express emotion is through volume. This can lead to an occasional harshness and a slipping of the (otherwise impressive) accents. It is noticeable that one of the most affecting songs is Heidi’s So Big, So Small that is comparatively underplayed and low-intensity, and works so well as a result.
Confidence is in great supply throughout the production, with James Gow’s elegant lighting and clever use of projections providing a backdrop to a talented cast.
This is always going to be a divisive work, and fans and detractors will probably not change their minds about it now, but there can be no denying the determination and theatrical drive of this particular production.
Running time: Two hours and 50 minutes (including one interval).
Church Hill Theatre, 40 Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
Tuesday 9 – Sunday 13 June 2026
Evenings at 7.30 pm; Matinee Sat at 2.30 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Room 29 Theatre website: www.room29.co.uk
Facebook: @Room29Theatre
Instagram: @room29theatre
Linktree: @room29theatre
Sebastian Schneeberger, flanked by Scott Binnie (Jared) and Bethany Dunion (Alana), with the chorus of Dear Evan Hansen. Pic: Alastair More.
ENDS
