Dear Evan Hansen producers to cast British actor to lead London production

The producers of the Broadway hit musical Dear Evan Hansen will cast a British actor as part of plans to transfer the show to the West End, according to the Daily Mail.

Having opened at the Music Box Theatre in 2016, Dear Evan Hansen took Broadway by storm, picking up six Tony Awards including Best Original Score for song-writing duo Pasek and Paul, Best Book of a Musical for Steven Levenson, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Ben Platt.

Off the back of its New York success, producer Stacey Mindich has told the Mail that the lead of a West End production of Dear Evan Hansen "has to be played by a British actor", and that they would also use colour-blind casting.

She added: "I want audiences to feel as close to Evan as possible."

The musical is about a teenage boy who suffers from social anxiety disorder, making it difficult for him to talk to and connect with other people. When one of his classmates dies, he develops a story that brings him closer to the grieving family, but also helps him to develop.

It has a score by Pasek and Paul, the award-winning song-writing team behind blockbuster film La La Land and The Greatest Showman, as well as a musical adaptation of James and the Giant Peach and the Tony-nominated A Christmas Story: The Musical.

A London production of Dear Evan Hansen is yet to be officially confirmed, and casting details and a venue are to be announced. Details on how to buy tickets for Dear Evan Hansen in London will be available here when announced.

Photo courtesy Joan Marcus