Last Updated on 14 May 2021 by Showcall Editorial Team
Acclaimed musical Dear Evan Hansen is to reopen at London’s Noël Coward Theatre this autumn after its success at the 2020 Olivier Awards
Olivier Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen is returning to the West End in October after its original run was cut short after only four months.
Tickets for the West End production will go on public sale on 18 May ahead of reopening back at the Noël Coward Theatre on 26 October 2021.
Casting is still to be announced. The original London production featured Sam Tutty in the title role, earning an Olivier Award for best actor in a musical. Other cast members Lucy Anderson, Lauren Ward, Jack Loxton and Rupert Young were nominated for best acting awards and it also won the Olivier Awards for best new musical and best original score or new orchestrations. Popular songs include “You Will Be Found” and “Waving Through a Window”.
All plans for the re-opening of Dear Evan Hansen are in accordance with the Government’s latest directives and therefore subject to change. While Covid guidelines and safety protocols are still being worked out, the intention is to open at full capacity. The producers are still seeking Government-backed contingency insurance to protect against further unscheduled closures.
Announcing the return of Dear Evan Hansen to London, producer Stacey Mindich also announced today that the Broadway production would open on 11 December at the Music Box Theatre five years after its original Broadway opening. The third year of the North American Tour will also relaunch on 7 December.
She said: “It’s a remarkable feeling to put plans in place to relaunch all three Dear Evan Hansen companies, though we, like everyone in the theatre industry, are facing considerable challenges. We will proceed safely and smartly to ensure a safe and equitable workplace for everyone when we return, and protect our cast, crew and audiences amidst a world forever changed and continuously evolving due to both the global pandemic and the cultural and racial reckoning.
“We hope that Dear Evan Hansen’s message of human connection and acceptance will feel more vital than ever.”
As part of the relaunch, Mindich has promised that, with the help of their mental health not-for-profit partners in the UK and the US, all three productions will hold a special night in their first weeks of performances to honour mental health care workers and volunteers who will be invited to attend as guests.
“Mental well-being has become a core part of our show’s narrative over the years, and we hear from so many audience members about how the show has helped them on their own journeys to mental wellness,” Mindich said.
“We have had long-standing relationships with some of this country’s and the United Kingdom’s mental health not-for-profits and we want to honour the mental health care workers and volunteers who have worked tirelessly through these trying times.”
Dear Evan Hansen, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and directed by Michael Greif, opened at the Noël Coward Theatre in November 2019 before shutting in March 2020 along with other theatre across the UK due to Covid. It features choreography by Danny Mefford, scenic design by David Korins, projection design by Peter Nigrini, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, and hair design by David Brian Brown. Music supervision, orchestrations and additional arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire. Ben Cohn is the associate music supervisor. UK casting is by Jill Green Casting, Vocal arrangements and additional arrangements are by Justin Paul. Judith Schoenfeld is the production supervisor. General management by 101 Productions.
