Les Miserables
It is not an overstatement to say that this is probably the most powerful
musical to ever hit the West End. This show is a rare thing; a serious, sombre
musical which, only on one or two occasions, ever slips into comedy. Based on
the Victor Hugo novel, it tells a sweeping tale of religious conviction, social
deprivation and love set against the turmoil leading up to , and during, the
French Revolution of the 1820’s and 1830’s.
Over 50 million people have seen Cameron Mackintosh’s production of
Les Miserables,
and this is truly testament to the gravitas and emotion of the piece. Every song
is a tour-de-force, from the opening ‘Look Down’ to the unbelievably goosebump-inducing
‘One Day More’ to the heartbreaking ‘Javert’s suicide’. This musical is
certainly not for those who are looking for a bit of escapism, but for those who
like to be moved, to be challenged, and to be pulled from their seats at the end
in applause, this one certainly is for you.
Many famous names, such as Ruthie Henshall, Michael Ball and Phillip Quast, have
graced this show over the years, and the current cast do justice to this
heritage with David Shannon, Earl Carpenter and Allyson Brown taking on the
rolls of Jean Valjean, Javert and Fantine respectively. Under the guidance of
the likes of Mackintosh, Trevor Nunn and John Caird, the
Queens
Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue really does come alive as early 19th century
revolutionary France.
The show is the longest running in the West End and has, amazingly, been
translated into 21 different languages. The timeless stories of Javert’s pursuit
of ’justice’, Valjean’s pursuit of freedom and Eponine’s, Marius’ and Cossete’s
pursuit of love have spoken to audiences in 223 cities in over 38 countries.
Ultimately the show is about showing how similar we all are underneath, we are
all searching for love, and freedom, and peace, no matter how different we may
go about attempting to achieve these aims.
Because of its narratives of prostitution and death and war and because of the
intellectual nature of the performance, younger theatre-goers may not be able to
get the fully-rounded experience from this show (although there is a schools
version of the musical which might be more appropriate) For everyone else
though, this is a chance to see a rare musical, one which doesn’t hide its
integrity nor its intelligence.
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