Dear Evan Hansen is an award winning musical which has recently been available for amatuer theatre groups to perform. The Lowestoft Players are a phenomenal theatre group which is leading the way with high-quality productions, with their most recent musical Anything Goes being fantastic. We got the opportunity to find out more about their upcoming production of Dear Evan Hansen through a Q & A with the cast. Learn more below:
1: What drew you to bringing Dear Evan Hansen to the Players Theatre?
I have always been drawn to the piece as it’s very raw in terms of his human themes and very different to a traditional musical- the score is incredibly moving with beautiful songs that hit a nerve with the audience.
2: What has been one of the most rewarding parts of developing this production?
Working with such a great creative and tech team and a super talented cast!
3: What is your favourite scene/song in the show and why?
Difficult to choose, but I love a good comedy scene so Sincerely Me is a front runner for me!!
Emily – Co-director
4: What has been the most challenging part of bringing Evan to life?
First off, playing Evan is an absolute pleasure, and working with such an incredible cast makes playing my role so much simpler than it could be.
As for the most “challenging” part of the role, there are many things that I find hard in the role. Ben Platt always described Words Fail as the hardest song in the show, after 2 hours of non-stop singing at the top of your range, managing all of the natural emotions that come out whilst still belting out top notes, I can definitely see why. Or I could say the emotional impact the role has on you, I think after Words Fail in our first readthrough, I couldn’t stop crying and had to take a little break. Or even the overwhelming amount of time Evan is actually onstage, with no break, it’s hard to remember what scenes come where, you can’t take a look at your script to see what’s coming next, because you’re onstage the entire show, with only two small little breaks in each act; one of which is spent listening to the incredible Evie Forsdicke belt out Requiem (bring tissues).
Although, I could easily say that the best thing about playing this part is the conversations around the intricacies of each character when in rehearsal, we spend a lot of time talking about why characters are doing what they’re doing, how it links to different parts of the story, so we really know these characters inside out. And most importantly, the supportiveness and closeness of our cast is truly incredible, going through such a vulnerable story with everyone cheering you on and there for a pat on the back, hug, and cry is one of the most special things I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of.
Casey Divall as Evan Hansen
5: Heidi balances her busy life with the love for her son. What have you enjoyed most about exploring her character?
Heidi has a busy life because she loves her son and wants to give him as much as she can. She desperately wants to reach him and encourage him but also feels guilty that she can’t fully give him the life she thinks he wants. It has been fascinating to explore the ways in which she and Evan are similar in their insecurities both questioning whether they are enough.
Georgina Burke as Heidi Hansen
6: Connor’s character is often told through the perspectives of others in the story. How did you find his identity in your role?
Throughout the show, it follows a lot of different themes surrounding emotions and personal struggle. Personally, Connor’s emotional journey of the highs and lows, although tricky to watch and experience, have also had elements of being very relatable for me. Trying to use my own personal experiences of difficult times and feeling low, alongside the guidance of Nick and Emily, has helped me to form the frustrated, misunderstood, angsty teen that Connor represents in the show.
Fletcher Thomson as Connor Murphy
7: What made you decide to audition for Zoe and what is your favourite musical moment in the show?
I auditioned for Zoe because I love her as a character; she’s complex and her story is very complicated so there’s always been so much to think about when acting in this role. I also love the song Requiem as it’s emotional and the vocals are beautiful. My favourite musical moment in the show is Sincerely Me, unfortunately I don’t get to be in it but it’s so fun, and it’s the perfect light and comedic moment before I get emotional with Requiem.
Evie Forsdicke as Zoe Murphy
8: Both parents are dealing with emotions in different ways. How have you worked together to portray this grieving family unit?
John and I have had lots of ongoing discussion about Cynthia and Larry’s history together as a couple – what our marriage was like before Connor’s mental health issues and addiction took over, how we’d learned to divide the emotional labour of parenting him, who cracked first when things got hard.
Cynthia’s grief is raw and out in the open as she’s torn between guilt over failing Connor and missing him, even knowing he wasn’t always easy to be around. Evan’s fabricated emails give her a glimpse of the son she’d always hoped he’d become.
Larry made peace with Connor’s flaws long ago, so he holds a steadier front but the emails crack that open, surfacing regret and guilt he’s kept buried. As Evan’s lies unravel, we move through grief and anger together, and finally find our way back to hope.
Beccie Amer as Cynthia Murphy
Becky and I worked together discussing ways in which the characters would interact and how this could be best shown on stage. We discussed in detail how and why Connor took his own life as this is never stated for some reason. Larry tries to maintain a normal life as possible, avoiding anything that relates to Connor’s death. He doesn’t show any emotion as he feels this is a weakness and refuses to confront what has actually happened. Cynthia, on the other hand wants to talk and remember, holding onto anything that is connected to him. We discussed that Larry would avoid eye contact, be silent and come across emotionless with little sympathy, while Cynthia, would be more expressive and emotional.
John Marjoram as Larry Murphy
9: Alana is ambitious, determined and confident. What have you enjoyed most about exploring this identity?
Playing Alana has given me a new mindset of achieving the impossible and pushing myself, and others, to their full potential because of her ambitiously charismatic demeanour portrayed throughout the show!
Rosie Price as Alana Beck
10: Jared brings humour and comedy to the production, though the underlying themes are emotionally charged. How do you balance comedy with these serious moments?
Jared’s humor is really just his way of coping with things he isn’t equipped to handle yet. I try to play his comedy as a natural shield, he jokes when things get too real or uncomfortable. Because the laughter comes from a totally believable teenage defense mechanism, it creates a great contrast with the show’s heavier themes without undermining the heart of the story!
Jack Stock as Jared Kleinman
Dear Evan Hansen by the Lowestoft Players opens Thursday 17th September to Saturday 26th September. Many thanks to the cast and creatives for answering our questions. We are eagerly anticipating this production: you will not want to miss this! Book your tickets here!
Max
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