DEAR EVAN HANSEN – reaching new levels

Rose Theatre Barton Peveril Sixth Form College Eastleigh until 31st Oct 2026

Review: Pat Hayward 28th October 2026

Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre have once again shown the world that there is no line between amateur and professional theatre; maybe that is unfair because with their new production of Dear Evan Hansen a new sense of reality has been brought to this, one of the best new musicals of the 21^st century, lifting it to a new level. Director, Mike Mullen, has managed to cast his production with members of his companies that perfectly match the profiles of the characters and most importantly and for the first time, are the age of the roles that they are playing…and it really makes a difference.

For any of you that are new to Dear Evan Hansen, the stage musical (forget the film which was a travesty) it is a story that speaks out to those struggling with mental health. It has something for everyone to relate to in this production, whether your a parent or a teenager. It speaks volumes and this is emotionally one of the best productions I’ve ever seen. It will stick with you long after you’ve seen it and hopefully for those like Evan Hansen, You Will Be Found.

Dear Evan Hansen centres around Evan, a high school lad who yearns to fit in with his fellow peers. He finds social and performance situations very difficult, therefore fitting in isn’t easy and he is quite isolated at school. Evan is seeking help from a therapist who encourages him to write encouraging letters to himself in the hope it will enable him to seek things outside of his comfort zone. However, one of his letters falls into the hands of school bully, Connor Murphy, shortly before he kills himself. It’s Connor’s parents who discover Evan’s letter and assume that it’s genuinely for him. Evan does nothing to tell them they’re wrong and builds a story around it, resulting in a fabricated friendship that brings him closer to Connor’s family, especially Connor’s sister Zoe. The newly imagined friendship gains a momentum that explodes across social media, elevating Evan to superstar status. But the pressures build and the dreams come tumbling down, but leaving Evan with the freedom of honesty and optimism.

This is a musical that is totally dependant on the lead role, get the casting of Evan wrong and you have no show, get it right and you have a show like no other. Forget Ben Platt who played him on Broadway, forget Sam Tully in the West End, forget Ryan Kopel on the UK tour – all too old to be believable. Here at The Rose Theatre at Eastleigh’s Barton Peveril Sixth Form College we have 18 year old George Singleton who IS Evan Hansen. For the first time ever, I can say that we have found Evan – never has anyone slipped into the role from the first moment and stayed with it through all the changes in circumstances righ to the final curtain, until now. And Singleton is magnificent in every respect – his frailty, his isolation, his growing confidence and his realisation – what a performer.

But we must give credit to every member of the incredible cast, especially the parents, Evan’s struggling mother, Heidi played by Laura Hill, Connor’s Mum and Dad, Hannah Ley and Mark Hill, their daughter and Evan’s love interest Zoe, Emily Babey and of course Evan’s supposed friend but actually bully, Connor, another amazing performance by Sam Head, then there is Evan’s cousin Jared played by Aaron Axtell and the driver of the Connor myth Alana Beck portrayed by Rosie Drennan. The support cast are phenomenal ensuring the whole show moves forward without interruption, they are Lily-Belle Bezant, Livvy Bulpitt, Amelia Peters, Megan Thorpe, Cylan Kaynak, Fin Otto, Seth Clarke and Ben Bristol-Reid.

In a show which could be very sedantry, the role of choreographer is so important, the dancing might be minimal but every moment of every scene requires carefully coordinated movement and here Summer Hughes excels as characters interact and interchange with absolute precision. The two musical directors, Ian Partridge and Rachael Thorpe ensure that their eight piece orchestra are perfectly in-synch with cast on the stage. The overall undisputed success of this magnificent piece is down to James Flaxman, the Production Manager and Mike Mullen, the Director.

I urge anyone that loves musical theatre, has experience of mental health issues or just enjoys top-class theatre, see if you can get tickets for Dear Evan Hansen which runs until Saturday 31^st October 2026 at Eastleigh’s Rose Theatre. You won’t regret it.