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.