News: Nottingham College graduate takes to the stage in UK Musical Tour

A former Nottingham College student has secured multiple roles in the UK tour of Dear Evan Hansen, highlighting the exceptional talent fostered by the college’s performing arts programme. 

Lara Beth-Sas, who studied Musical Theatre at Nottingham College from 2012 to 2013, will join the cast of the acclaimed musical tour, which kicks off at Nottingham Playhouse in September. Following its celebrated runs on Broadway and the West End, the tour is gathering widespread acclaim, comparable to that of the musical Hamilton. 

Lara will join the brand-new ensemble of Dear Evan Hansen, portraying high school students and bringing the story to life through dynamic movement and song. Beyond her ensemble role, Lara also serves as the musical’s dance captain where she will oversee spacing to cover different size theatres throughout the tour. Impressively, she is also the understudy for three lead roles. 

The musical centres around an anxious high school kid named Evan who wants to fit in, but events spiral after he avoids telling the whole truth and he faces a reckoning with himself and everyone around him. Lara said: ​“It’s a beautiful story that tugs at heart strings but it’s also very funny, with some of the biggest musical theatre songs of the last decade. Everyone will relate to this show, whoever you are; and it’s such an important show that will get people talking.” 

Studying at Nottingham College helped Lara take her first steps towards her career in theatre, she said: ​“It was a refreshing change coming out of school where you only get one drama lesson a week to doing it all day every day at college. It provided a great stepping stone to practise the craft, meet likeminded people and have the chance to perform in a full stage musical. I cherish my time there.” 

Amy Legge, the Performing Arts Lecturer at Nottingham College, is elated about her ex-student’s success, she said: ​“Lara was an exceptional Musical Theatre student here at Nottingham College. She was highly committed, hardworking and so driven that we had no doubt that she would achieve her ambitions. 

“We are so proud of everything that she is doing and can’t wait to see her in action at Nottingham Playhouse. Our current Musical Theatre students will no doubt be inspired by her journey when we take them to see the show.” 

For information on performing arts courses at Nottingham College, please visit: Performing Arts | Nottingham College

For details and to buy tickets for Dear Evan Hansen at Nottingham Playhouse, please visit: Dear Evan Hansen — Nottingham Playhouse