Entertainment

Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen to open in the West End next year

The tale of the anxiety-ridden school boy will open at the Noel Coward Theatre.
The tale of the anxiety-ridden school boy will open at the Noel Coward Theatre. The tale of the anxiety-ridden school boy will open at the Noel Coward Theatre.

The producer of hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen has said she cannot wait for the show to “connect” with London when it arrives in the West End late next year.

The Tony Award-winning musical will premiere in London in November 2019, opening at the Noel Coward Theatre, which producer Stacey Mindich described as a “jewel box” of a space.

The show tells the story of anxiety-ridden schoolboy Evan who, in the wake of a classmate’s death, lies about how close he was to the boy.

As his lie spins out of control he is brought closer to the boy’s family with unexpected consequences.

The team responsible for the Broadway production will also lead the West End production, with director Michael Greif returning to manage the cast.

It is not yet known if Pitch Perfect star Ben Platt will reprise his role as Evan Hansen for the London production.

Dear Evan Hansen opened in December 2016 at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre to overwhelmingly positive reviews and later became the recipient of six Tony awards including Best Musical as well as the 2018 Grammy award for Best Musical Theatre Album.

The stage musical has also won the Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Production and for the off-Broadway production, two Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards.

Dear Evan Hansen opens in the West Ends in 2019 (Matthew Murphy/PA)

Mindich said: “Producing Dear Evan Hansen in America has been a joyful undertaking as the team and I have seen such a widespread and heartfelt response to our show’s message.

“We are so excited to bring our show to London, especially to Cameron Mackintosh’s jewel box of a theatre, the Noel Coward.

“Our show is very much about connection and we are all looking forward to connecting London audiences to the music and story of Dear Evan Hansen.”

Dear Evan Hansen will open at the Noël Coward Theatre in November 2019.