Dear Evan Hansen is a musical with a contemporary storyline that is highly emotional and thought provoking. It explores mental health, parenthood, relationships and loss, and is largely based on the positive and negative impact of social media on modern life, especially for young people, who are often digitally connected but not necessarily emotionally supported.

This uniquely powerful Tony Award-winning show premiered on Broadway in December 2016, opening in the West End three years later. The new UK tour has been co-produced by Nottingham Playhouse and Ambassador Theatre Group.

Ryan Kopel gives an outstanding performance, full of energy and passion, as title character Evan Hansen, an incredibly vulnerable and socially anxious 17-year-old who is struggling to fit in with his classmates.

Unwittingly, Evan becomes the victim of circumstances beyond his control when one of his peers, Connor Murphy, a frequent drug user who is also a social outcast with no friends, takes his own life. Connor’s family think that Evan and their son were friends, and take solace in this belief, inviting Evan to become part of their family. Through a series of accidental misunderstandings, Evan inadvertently creates a web of lies which soon spirals out of control...

Alice Fearn is brilliant as Evan’s mum, Heidi. She works hard and studies in the evenings, which means Evan spends a lot of time on his own. Heidi wants to help and support her son, but struggles to know how to. In her portrayal, Fearn sensitively reflects the challenges of being a single mother who wants to connect with her child whilst also trying to meet her own needs.

The songs, accompanied by a live band, are wonderful, the vocals flawless, the performances of the whole cast spellbinding, and the staging - which includes mirrored and frosted sliding screens full of social-media posts - truly impressive.

This is an emotionally draining but ultimately uplifting show with a slick and clever storyline that will keep you engaged from start to finish. If you enjoy theatre that both entertains and challenges, Dear Evan Hansen is well worth catching.

Four stars

Dear Evan Hansen was reviewed by Sue Hull on Tuesday 22 October at The Alexandra, Birmingham, where it shows until this Saturday (26 October). The production returns to the Midlands next spring, showing at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 April.