Some musicals entertain you. Some move you. And a rare few manage to do both while making you laugh at the same time. Dear Evan Hansen is one of those shows.

This autumn, audiences at Newton Abbot’s Alexandra Theatre will have the opportunity to experience this award-winning contemporary musical, thanks to Newton Abbot and District Musical Comedy Society.

Directed by Chris Green, the production explores loneliness, friendship, grief, mental health and the very human desire to feel seen and accepted.

“Dear Evan Hansen is a musical that will make you laugh, catch you off guard, and maybe leave you wiping away a tear before you have quite realised it,” said Chris. “It is a contemporary story with a huge heart, unforgettable songs like ‘You Will Be Found’ and characters who feel beautifully, messily real.”

The show features music and lyrics by the acclaimed songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same composers behind the hugely successful The Greatest Showman, as well as La La Land. Their score for Dear Evan Hansen includes songs such as “You Will Be Found”, “Waving Through a Window” and the brilliantly comic “Sincerely, Me”.

For Green, one of the greatest pleasures of directing the show has been discovering that beneath its reputation as an emotional musical lies something much more varied.

“As director, one of the joys of approaching Dear Evan Hansen is discovering just how alive, funny and unexpectedly uplifting the show can be,” he explained.

“Yes, it is known for its emotional power, and rightly so, but it is also packed with wit, warmth and the kind of beautifully awkward moments that make audiences recognise themselves and laugh — sometimes because it is funny, and sometimes because it is painfully, wonderfully true.”

At the centre of the story is Evan Hansen, a teenager who struggles to connect with those around him. When a misunderstanding unexpectedly changes his life, Evan finds himself drawn into a situation that grows beyond his control.

The story speaks directly to a modern world in which social media can make people feel simultaneously connected and completely alone. It explores the pressure to appear as though everything is fine, even when it is anything but.

For Green, that honesty is at the heart of the musical.

“The story follows characters who feel isolated, misunderstood and unsure how to connect, and for me, the heart of Dear Evan Hansen lies in its honesty,” he says. “It speaks about loneliness, mental health, grief and the pressure to appear ‘fine’ in a world where everyone seems to be performing a version of themselves online.”

But this is far from a relentlessly sombre evening.

The comedy is an essential part of the production, from the chaotic brilliance of “Sincerely, Me” to Jared’s wonderfully dry humour and Evan’s painfully awkward attempts to navigate conversations that many of us would rather avoid.

“The comedy is important because it makes the emotional moments land more deeply,” says Green. “Laughter gives the audience room to breathe; it reminds us that even in difficult stories, people are still funny, flawed, hopeful and capable of surprising kindness.”

Dear Evan Hansen has become one of the most celebrated musicals of recent years, winning six Tony Awards including Best Musical, as well as the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album and the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

For this Newton Abbot production, the aim is not simply to tell a story, but to take audiences on an emotional journey — one that can make them laugh, move them and perhaps encourage them to look a little more closely at the people around them.

“I hope audiences will come and experience it with us,” Green added, “not only because it is moving, but because it is funny, vibrant, deeply human and absolutely worth seeing live.”

Dear Evan Hansen opens at Newton Abbot’s Alexandra Theatre, Newton Abbot, on Tuesday, September 29, with performances running until Saturday 3rd October.

Tickets are on sale at:www.ticketsource.co.uk/nadmcs