Review: Dear Evan Hansen

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Dear Evan Hansen.
Throughout his life, teenager Evan Hansen has felt invisible: his school friends, the girl he loves, and his own family look straight through him. Having struggled to make friends, his therapist suggests Evan writes a daily letter to himself focussing on what will be good about that day, but some days he simply runs out of hope for his future. I first saw Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway in 2018 and found it to be utterly spellbinding, so I was intrigued to see as to whether the new West End production would live up to expectations.

Dear Evan Hansen's story is a fascinating exploration into mental illness, youth suicide, the impact of grief, the influence that social media has on today's society, as well as a dozen other topical themes. The show's book, written by Steven Levenson, provides a fascinating commentary on these issues, tackling such matters in an absorbing yet lifelike way. The show follows an extremely compelling story, and this is quite evident by the fact that it seems to have resonated with so many theatregoers. The characters of Dear Evan Hansen are excellently written, with each and every one being highly three-dimensional. Each character is flawed in their own way, making it far easier for audience members to connect with these personas. Dear Evan Hansen's story is also interesting to examine from an ethical point of view. As previously mentioned, all of the characters have one flaw or another, and they all make mistakes. Therefore, especially in the case of the titular character, it is intriguing to assess as to whether the character's actions are right or not. Different people will have differing viewpoints on the morals of Dear Evan Hansen, and that's what makes this show so unique. It is also important to give credit to the writers for its creativity and inventiveness. Dear Evan Hansen is an entirely original story, not based off of any other source material. In an era whereby a large portion of musicals are based off of movies, this show definitely deserves a lot of praise for its originality.

The musical score of Dear Evan Hansen is written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and it is absolutely remarkable. Each song in the show is exceedingly catchy, and they will likely remain with you weeks after watching the show; both the music and lyrics are extremely memorable. Additionally, the lyrics are beautifully written and will likely touch many audience members. This element is particularly prominent in certain songs, such as 'Waving Through a Window' and 'You Will Be Found'. Songs such as these really resonate with audience members and have important messages behind them, all the while having an extremely catchy tune. The songs also prove beneficial at advancing the plot, demonstrating the strength of Dear Evan Hansen's musical score.

At the performance that I attended, alternate Marcus Harman portrayed the role of Evan Hansen and he was excellent. Harman is a brilliant actor, and really nails Evan's characterisation down to a tee. He faultlessly executes all of Evan's traits, including the character's awkward fidgeting and quivering voice. In addition to his acting, Harman also has a superb singing voice. This was evident during the climax of 'Words Fail', which he performed with perfection. Dear Evan Hansen marks Harman's professional stage debut, and it is clear that he has a bright future ahead. A special mention must be given to Lucy Anderson as Zoe Murphy, who was also incredible. Anderson's voice is utterly beyond belief, and her renditions of 'Requiem' and 'Only Us' were outstanding. She also acted the role well, and had brilliant chemistry with Marcus Harman. Similar to Harman, this show marks Anderson's West End debut. Lauren Ward, as Cynthia Murphy, was equally as phenomenal. Ward puts so much emotion into her portrayal, and it certainly pays off. She displays so much raw emotion from beginning to end, making her highly believable as a grieving Mother. Ward's performance is undoubtedly one of the show's highlights, and her interpretation of the character is the best I have seen at this point in time.

Now for my final verdict on Dear Evan Hansen. I give Dear Evan Hansen...

Dear Evan Hansen is an astonishing show unlike no other. It has a fascinating story with an absolutely enthralling musical score, as well as an outstanding cast of talented performers.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer

Review: God 2.0

Hey readers!

It's time for my review of God 2.0.
What would you ask God? What if you didn’t like the answer? In this religious satire by Kent based Blueberry Goose Theatre Group, God gives a monthly interview answering ANY question. For Ash Pentel, a troubled heavy-weight political journalist and this month’s interviewer, the right answer could be a life saver.

The story of God 2.0 is designed to make the audience question the perceived nature of God, as well as organised religion as a whole. The show seeks to tackle a wide range of philosophical issues, primarily focusing on criticisms aimed at the traits of the Christian God. For example, if God is omni-benevolent and omniscient, then why does he not use his powers to intervene and prevent human suffering? There was some interesting commentary throughout, especially in regards to the consequences of allowing human beings to have complete and utter free will. God's answers to such questions were well-scripted and interesting to listen to. I particularly enjoyed listening to the first answer,  which explored the way in which one small use of negative free will can lead to endless suffering, thus presenting the argument that free will may not be so good after all. Beyond the main story, there is also an underlying subplot throughout that God's interviewer is suffering from suicidal tendencies. The true intention of this subplot felt a little unclear however and only minimal explanation was provided. As a consequence, I would have liked to have seen this expanded upon in more detail.

God 2.0 consists of five cast members, however there were two performances in particular which stood out. Firstly, I rather admired Inez Thorn's portrayal of the first God. Thorn had a very interesting characterisation that was strikingly different to her fellow God's. She portrayed the role as being rather relaxed throughout, which made for an intriguing contrast. The strongest performance however came from Malcolm Jeffries, who portrayed God #3. Jeffries interpreted God as being quite an emotional being, which was both effective and fascinating to witness. He was well and truly captivating, and he stole the spotlight whenever he entered the stage. Jeffries really did deliver a remarkable performance.

Now for my final verdict on God 2.0. I give God 2.0...

Whilst the subplots could have been developed further, God 2.0 does give a fair amount of interesting commentary, as well as some excellent performances.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer

Review: Different From The Others

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Different From The Others.
It's 1919, World War I has ended, men are holding hands in public, Moscow and St Petersburg are gay and free from discrimination and Germany, feeling the full brunt of blame is yet to establish itself. It was then that Magnus Hirschfeld, a German Sexologist and founding father of gay activism seized the opportunity to create the first pro-gay film ever to be made.

The aspect of Different From The Others that makes it so compelling is that it is based on a true story. Whilst playwright Claudio Macor has taken certain artistic licenses in order to further the narrative, the vast majority of what we see on stage is actually quite factual. As a keen historian, I found this fascinating. Despite having extensively studied this period of history, I had not previously been aware of these particular events. As a consequence, I was delighted to have my eyes opened to this significant tidbit of history. Different From The Others tells an utterly intriguing story, and it leaves you wanting to find out more. Upon leaving the theatre, I conducted further research into the events depicted in the play, as well as the characters featured. It is a thoroughly interesting piece of work, and it was an utter delight to watch.

Different From The Others consists of a small cast of six, including Christopher Sherwood, Beth Eyre, Benjamin Garrison, Jeremy Booth, Simon Stallard and Jordan Alexander. All six cast members were phenomenal; there was not a weak link among them. Each and every one of them brought something unique to the stage, and they all worked well as a collective, creating an excellent stage dynamic. A special mention must be given to Simon Stallard, who portrayed the role of Karl Giese. Stallard was highly believable in the role, and successfully conveyed the heartbreaking innocence and naivety of his character. He particularly excelled in the penultimate scene, whereby he made it quite evident the extent to which Karl was torn between his former love for Dr Magnus Hirschfield and his new allegiance to Nazism. Beth Eyre's spell-binding portrayal was also an overall highlight of the show. She had such a natural stage presence, and conjured the perfection characterisation for Anita Berber. Eyre convincingly portrayed Berber's troubled and complex personality, causing the character's eventual demise to be well and truly heart-rending.

Now for my final verdict on Different From The Others. I give Different From The Others...

Different From The Others is an intriguing piece of work, detailing a unique part of history. In addition to this, there also are a number of masterful performances.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer

Review: Hansard

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Hansard.
It’s a summer’s morning in 1988 and Tory politician Robin Hesketh has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital scrapping quickly turns to blood-sport.

In regards to Hansard's story, I had mixed feelings. Whilst elements of the narrative are very interesting indeed, there are parts which felt a little repetitive. The play's strongest moments come in the final half hour, when Hansard begins to move away from the political disagreements of Robin and Diana, and instead focus on their own lives and the impact of their son's death. Although this part of the play was rather depressing, it had the desired effect of a heavy emotional impact. For the first time throughout the whole play, the audience begin to feel sympathetic towards these characters in response to the grief they have undergone as a result of losing their son. Such emotion was previously missing in the play, and I was therefore appreciative of the show's ending. In regards to the negative aspects of Hansard's story, the first hour of the show does feel rather monotonous. The show features a back-and-forth argument between the married couple, with their contrasting political views and personalities severely clashing. The argument did become somewhat tedious after a while, and it felt rather prolonged. In order to combat this, I feel that the introduction of a new character, or perhaps a change of setting, could have helped to make Hansard a little more interesting.

Hansard consists of only two characters, who in this instance are portrayed by Alex Jennings and Lindsay Duncan. Both performers are perfectly cast and were a true delight to watch. Whilst both characters are somewhat flawed people, the actors still succeed in gaining our sympathy for them. Alex Jennings, as Robin, was remarkable and convincingly embodied the persona of an uptight and pompous Conservative politician. In particular, Jennings shone in the final 15 minutes, whereby Robin begins to shed his cold personality and demonstrates emotion that we had not previously seen. Lindsay Duncan, as Diana, was equally as extraordinary. Duncan has a fantastic stage presence, and was highly engaging throughout. She gave both a believable and heartfelt performance.

Now for my final verdict on Hansard. I give Hansard...

Whilst the narrative of Hansard is not perfect, the two leading performances are unquestionably outstanding and more than make up for any of the play's shortcomings. 

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Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer

Review: The Elixir of Love

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Elixir of Love.
Originally set in the basque country of Northern Spain in the 1870’s, this new English version of The Elixir of Love transposes the action to the Italian immigrant community in the Welsh seaside town of Barry Island, in 1982. As the Falklands war gains momentum and Thatcherism ravages the UK, can lovelorn poet Nemorion win the affections of the charismatic Adina?

The cast of five featured in The Elixir of Love were well and truly outstanding in every sense of the word. They had wonderful chemistry with one another and played off each other very well. The interactions that took place between them were fantastic, and they really did work very well together. In addition to this, all five performers were naturally gifted singers. The cast had minimal musical support, due to the fact that their only backing is a lone pianist. This fact further highlights the strength of their abilities, as it demonstrates the power and control of their voices. I was in awe of their talents; the cast members of The Elixir of Love simply cannot be praised enough.

As the charismatic Adina starred Alys Roberts, who was excellent. Roberts had what was, arguably, the most vocally demanding role within the show, and yet she made it look effortless. Her voice is beyond exceptional and could unquestionably fill a West End auditorium. David Powton, as the lovesick Nicky, was also remarkable, which was largely as a result of his brilliant characterisation. I felt that Powton was particularly good at showing Nicky's growing confidence as the show went on in a way that seemed genuine and believable. Themba Mvula, as Brandon, was equally as marvellous, and engaged with the audience very well. Caroline Taylor, as Gina, was also good, giving an all-round solid performance. It was, however, Matthew Kellett as Dulcamara who stole the show with his scene-stealing solo number in Act One. I found Kellett's solo to be the overall highlight of the show, which was largely as a result of his precise comedic timing and larger than life stage presence.

The story of The Elixir of Love is fairly simple and rather predictable at times, but still fun and enjoyable nevertheless. There is a lot of humour to be found within the story, somewhat reminiscent of works by Gilbert and Sullivan. Act One, in particular, was absolutely hilarious and had many audience members laughing in hysterics. The character of Dulcamara, the sleazy conman, was particularly well written and provided comedy throughout.

Now for my final verdict on The Elixir of Love. I give The Elixir of Love...

The Elixir of Love was a complete and utter joy to watch. The cast were astonishing, and I hope to see them perform again within the near future.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer

Review: Voices From Across The World

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Voices From Across The World.
Voices From Across The World' is a showcase of 2 brand new British musicals written by composer and lyricist Tim Thomas. Both shows attempt to tackle a number of important social and environmental issues, such as materialism, pollution, greedy tourism and climate change.

The aspect of Voices From Across The World which really stood out was the show's stellar cast. The actors within the show had an infectious energy which really translated well. It was clear from beginning to end how much the cast were enjoying themselves, which was a true and utter delight to see. Each and every performer put maximum levels of passion and enthusiasm into their performances, and it certainly paid off. The most striking thing about their performances, however, were how many of them had remarkable voices. There were several outstanding singers among the cast, and there were a number of excellent solo-numbers.

In regards to those who stood out, Suzie Aries was a definite highlight. Aires is gifted with a wonderful stage presence, and she was perfectly cast as Miranda. The way in which she presented the caring nature and warm personality of Miranda was very believable, making it easy to connect with the character. Chameli Meir was also outstanding, which was largely as a result of her convincing portrayal of Ganchimaya in the second act. She successfully demonstrated Ganchimaya's innocence, creating a solid characterisation in the process. Meir also had a stunning singing voice, which was evident throughout all of her solos. Last, and certainly not least, Tom Dickerson, as the Narrator, was also exceptional. Whilst the Narrator spends a fair portion of the show on the sidelines, Dickerson really comes into his element in Act Two, when he portrays the money-loving and cold-hearted Captain; a role that he excelled at.

As previously mentioned, Voices From Across The World tells two different stories. The first is a tale of London's homeless community and how they live their everyday lives called 'Ship in a Bottle'. Whilst the story was a little simplistic, it was full of heart and had a good message at its core. I would argue that it was a mostly accurate depiction of life on the streets, and it was nice to see the different bonds that were formed by the homeless community. The second story called 'Tahiti' sees a young couple venture onto a remote island, whereby they learn to live and communicate with their animal counterparts. Whilst the message of the story is well-intentioned, and starts off very strong, it does begin to lose focus a little as it nears its end and was perhaps a little too abstract. Having said that, it was still very well acted, and the actors very successfully portrayed the animals featured in the piece.

Now for my final verdict on Voices From Across The World. I give Voices From Across The World...

I was thoroughly impressed by the performances in Voices From Across The World. There were a handful of truly exceptional performers in this piece, and I am sure many of them have bright futures.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer

Review: The Son

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Son.
As a family breaks down, a son begins to unravel. Nicolas is skipping school, lying to his family, hiding strange objects under his mattress. Is this typical teenager behaviour or a warning sign of hopelessness?

The Son is a fascinating and very life-like presentation of adolescent mental health, very clearly showing the way depression can affect juveniles and the people around them. Playwright Florian Zeller represents all of the feelings and thoughts surrounding the topic rather convincingly, and by doing so has created an exceedingly moving, yet heartbreaking, piece of theatre. The show examines the way that we should treat mental health, and how we can best help those who suffer from an illness such as depression. He makes a point of arguing we should not belittle or play down such matters as unimportant, due to the long-lasting consequences that this may have. It should be noted that Zeller had a particular talent for manipulating audience emotion. At certain points of the play the stage will be filled with joy and bliss, only to once again resolve in misery moments later. The Son really plays with our emotions throughout, and this aspect is particularly prominent during the show's conclusion. The characters within the play are also really interesting, and I particularly enjoyed the father-son dynamic between Pierre and Nicolas. Whilst not always entirely effective in his methods, Pierre is always well-intentioned when it comes to his son, and this is evident throughout.

In the titular role, Laurie Kynaston as Nicolas was absolutely perfect. He portrayed Nicolas's anxiety and depression authentically, giving a stellar performance in the process. There are moments whereby Knaston displayed glimmers of happiness, therefore creating a fascinating juxtaposition with the character's low points. It seemed that Kynaston was really able to connect with the character, which helped to make Nicolas all the more believable. John Light, as troubled father Pierre, was also outstanding. Light really captured the inner struggles that Pierre underwent throughout the course of the play, with the character trying to find the perfect balance between being a loving yet stern father. Both Amanda Abbington, as Anne, and Amaka Okafor, as Sofia, were also excellent, giving both believable and heartfelt performances.

The Son is the third play that I have seen written by Florian Zeller, and I strongly believe that this should be considered among his strongest works. Zeller has a clear talent for conveying character emotion and gaining empathy from his audience, which is quite evident in The Son. I am excited to see his future works.

Now for my final verdict on The Son. I give The Son...

The Son was superbly written and starred an extraordinarily talented cast; I would be hard pushed to find any relevant faults with the show.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer