Dear Evan Hansen (Room 29 – Church Hill Theatre) | Review By Lewis C. Baird

Room 29 presents the Edinburgh amateur premiere of Dear Evan Hansen, playing the Church Hill Theatre until Saturday 13^th June 2026.

This powerful musical with a book by Steven Levenson follows a lonely, socially anxious high school senior who inadvertently fabricates a deep friendship with a deceased classmate. What begins as a desperate and misguided attempt to comfort a grieving family, then spirals into a viral online movement. Amplifying the punches in this musical is the sensational music and lyrics by Olivier, Tony and Oscar award winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Having premiered professionally in 2015 and relying on digital media throughout, it’s an enormous task for an amateur theatre company to bring this show to stage with the high production values expected. Room 29’s director Neil Lavin, production manager Geo Niven and the production team do this with ease, utilizing a video wall with inventive scenic designs that blend the physical and virtual world. Throughout there are indications of the setting, with a static small platform and treads, accompanied onstage by beds, a dining room table, chairs and a unit being taken on and off. This works well to bring Evan Hansen’s world to life, complimented by James Gow’s minimalistic yet highly effective lighting design.

Another integral part of this production is having a performer with the acting chops to deliver the pinnacle character of Evan. Room 29 have scored with Sebastian Schneeberger in the title role, he is nothing short of phenomenal. With only enough time off stage for a few quick changes, the full show relies heavily on his shoulders, and he doesn’t miss a beat in ensuring the energy never drops. Sebastian’s acting performance here is intricate and detailed, developing slight nervous ticks and an intrinsic approach to the delivery of Evan’s dialogue to portray his crippling anxiety. Evan is hit with constant emotional punches in throughout the narrative, and yet Sebastian does well to differentiate his approach to portraying Evan’s pain and doesn’t allow room for disengagement of the audience’s emotion; they are hooked throughout. In terms of vocals, you can’t help but feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand when Sebastian first performs Waving Through A Window, showcasing his impressive vibrato which differs from the voices we have seen tackling this role previously but fits gorgeously. This is a stellar performance.

The supporting characters in this show are given just as heavy a task as when it comes to the emotional rollercoaster this production presents.

Emma Clarkson portrays the complex issues Zoe Murphy faces with nuance and believability. Emma works well with Sebastian to create the challenging relationship that Zoe and Evan share. There is a believability and truthfulness that was sometimes missing from professional productions that shone through here. Emma’s vocals compliment the breathtaking act one finale, You Will Be Found and radiate realistic emotion in Only Us.

Another key scene partner of Evan is his mother, Heidi Hansen, who is portrayed in this production by Eilidh Todd. The complicated dynamic of this mother and son relationship is portrayed with depth from both performers. Eilidh does well to show the emotional turmoil of being a working-class parent. At points Heidi’s American dialect did drop, however this could be down to opening night nerves. Eilidh does well to centre Heidi’s concern of Evan’s wellbeing in her performance.

The Murphy family are at the centre of this narrative with Lyndsey McGhee as Cynthia Murphy and Paul Kelly-Copland as Larry Murphy. The pair show a fragmented family on the brink. Their conflicting relationship with one another and Emma Clarkson’s Zoe helps drive the tension in the latter scenes. You do see the character’s kind nature shining through with Lyndsey showing an idealistic maternal figure to Evan, and Paul giving a truly heartbreaking performance during To Break in a Glove. One slight criticism lies in the Murphy’s initial scene with Evan. The pace moves so quickly that the context has little opportunity to settle, and when measured against the depth of devastation depicted later, the scene feels somewhat uneven. However, this is more of a direction note than the responsibility of the actors. Apart from this nit-pick, Lyndsey and Paul bring these heartbroken parents to life, depicting pain with realism, reflecting upon a life that could have been and comfort in what they have.

Harrison Owens is the final member of the Murphy clan, as Connor Murphy. Harrison does well to show Connor’s demons as well as giving him a sense of humility. There is of course a comical aspect to Connor in Harrison’s performance during Sincerely, Me. This is a well-rounded supporting performance from Harrison.

The final two supporting performers are Scott Binnie as Jared Kleinman and Bethany Dunion as Alana Beck – Evan’s school friends.

Binnie’s Jared is the much-needed comic relief in this musical. Scott’s comic timing is golden and ensures that every hint of humour in the dialogue is utilised to its full potential. Whether it’s lude comments or the delivery of Jared’s fabricated emails, the comedy lands every time and prompts laughter throughout the audience. Scott also adds to the hilarity and energy of Sincerely, Me. In terms of a comedic tonic in the darkness of this musical, Scott brings light when the audience needs it.

Bethany’s Alana is headstrong and farcically confident, with the unawareness of her imposing nature gaining laughs from the audience. Also, in terms of her concern for Evan’s honesty, Bethany delivers a great genuine inquisitiveness to the character. Bethany’s vocals are one of the most prominent highlights of the production, standing out in You Will Be Found, radiating power and emotion.

The ensemble for this production amplifies the vocals and staging of this production, most notably during the two most famous numbers Waving Through A Window and You Will be Found, making them sound just as stunning as the original recordings. The ensemble in this production are as follows; Stella Antonogiannaki, Becky Campbell, Lucy McKain, Caitlin McKay, Emily Millard, Grace Monaghan, Annie O’Dell, Gemma O’Sullivan, Joe Purcell, Eva Shaw and Morgan Stokes.

As said previously, the creative team for this production had a mammoth job achieving the expectations associated with this production. Neil Lavin’s direction of Dear Evan Hansen is ambitious, contemporary and powerful. Neil is delicate with the subject matter surrounding this musical and ensures that the emotional strain the themes and issues featured are handled with care. He has trust in his actors, allowing them the spotlight to truly push the narrative and deliver the gut-wrenching emotion this musical requires. There is the occasional moment that needs more time to settle, to punch as intended, but apart from this, the direction of this musical is impressive and highly commendable. Lou Everett builds upon Neil’s ambition by delivering an incredible-sounding production as Musical Director. The performers have clearly been well guided, and the band sounds sensational.

Room 29’s production of Dear Evan Hansen delivers the tears, goosebumps and raw emotion you expect from this poignant musical. Catch this production at the Church Hill Theatre until this Saturday.