The winner of an Olivier Award, a Grammy and nine Tonys, the story of a high-school student who creates a tangled web in his attempts to deal with anxiety has only grown in popularity over the ensuing decade.
Now, with the licence only recently becoming available for amateur productions, Music Theatre Guernsey’s cast will perform the show at St James from tomorrow until Saturday.
Taking the onerous responsibility of the island’s first Evan is Harry Snell, who has previously starred in the same company’s Carrie – in the German Underground Hospital – and Every Brilliant Thing, in which he was the lone performer at the Fermain Tavern.
‘Evan is definitely one of the largest roles in modern musicals, both in popularity and stage-time,’ says Harry.
‘Tackling this role undoubtedly has its pressures, but these are greatly relieved by the talent, dedication, and friendliness of the team beside me. While I thoroughly enjoyed performing a one-man show, I am thrilled to work with a cast once again. Watching someone grow and develop their performance to a sky-high level is such a joy. I’m so proud of the cast beside me, and have every confidence that we will reach new heights with our performances.’
Director Darren Alderton wasted no time in securing the rights to stage the musical, created by Steven Levenson (book) and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (music and lyrics).
‘There are some shows you choose because of the story, some because of the characters and some because of the music,’ Darren says.
‘With Dear Evan Hansen, it was all three. This is a stunning piece of musical theatre, wrapped around a story that feels increasingly important to tell. At its heart, this is a show about connection – about the tiny pieces of ourselves that we share with other people. Sometimes that connection lasts only a moment – sometimes it lasts a lifetime.’
Darren also enjoys the show’s exploration of perspectives.
‘What connects deeply with one person can be seen entirely differently by someone else,’ he says.
‘That feels particularly relevant in Guernsey today. We are becoming more and more financially divided, with the sense of an increasingly two-tier society. Dear Evan Hansen asks us to look beyond those divisions and consider the things we share – loneliness, grief, hope, family, friendship and the simple need to belong.’
Joining Harry to tell this story is a cast of actors with varying degrees of experience, who arrive at the St James hall via different routes.
Mani Davis, who plays Connor, has previously taken a lead role in an MTG production, as Christopher in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, while Lily Becker is no stranger to the venue, having previously appeared in Six. She made a big splash at the Gadoc One Act Play Festival in 2023 when, at 17, she directed Douglas Crave’s Lockdown, which carried off no fewer than six trophies, including those for best director and the play with the highest marks.
On the other hand, Jon Maides came to performance a little later in life after sending ‘a drunken message’ that led to involvement in the Guernsey Glee Singers, singing lessons, performances at Eisteddfod Guernsey, several trophies, membership of the Big Band Collective, Gadoc’s production of The Producers and now the role of Larry Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen – all in five years.
‘Larry is a father struggling to understand his family, his son and his own grief,’ says Darren.
‘He keeps his emotions buried beneath the surface. Jon brings a wonderful stillness and honesty to the role, making those moments when the walls finally begin to crack all the more powerful.’
Vocal powerhouse Caro Hardwicke takes on the role of Heidi, while Henri Barrett is performing in her first dramatic role for 20 years as Cynthia.
Michael Cantle is a regular performer at Footes Lane – as a rugby player for Guernsey Raiders – and takes the part of Jared, while Eve Le Sauvage, fresh from completing her degree in musical theatre at the University of Chichester, plays Alana.
With the addition of the ensemble and a band led by MTG music maestro Jude Wegerer, Darren is confident that the first outing of the show on the island will be one to remember.
‘One of the most striking features of the score is the way the music grows alongside Evan’s story,’ he says.
‘A single voice can quickly become several, then an entire company, reflecting the way private thoughts and conversations spread into something far bigger through social media. The strength of the music lies in something very simple – it allows characters who cannot always find the right words to finally say what they mean.’
MTG’s production of Dear Evan Hansen at St James runs from 8-12 September with all performances at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £20 (plus booking fee if buying online), are available via mtgsy.gg or from the St James box office on 711361.
