Date of performance – 11th January 2023
Venue – Wales Millennium Centre
Nowadays there are so many new musicals playing in London’s West End, Broadway, around the UK and US – and around the world. And that’s not to mention the millions still in development, or just mere ideas just waiting to pop into the right (or wrong) creator’s head. As fabulous as these newbies can be however, it’s comforting to know we still have the big mainstays (at least for now), that are guaranteed to get bums on seats, and the money flowing in. I’m talking about The Phantom of The Opera, The Lion King, Wicked – and, the biggest of them all – Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary Les Misérables. Even the name alone is synonymous with musical theatre, etched into the conscience of even the most casual fan. EVERYONE who likes musicals knows Les Misérables – whether they’ve seen the stage production (London, Broadway, touring etc etc), film version, or even just know the songs. As for me, I’ve played the soundtracks over and over again, seen the film (Anne Hathaway’s emotionally – charged ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ is a stunner, and Samantha Barks is Da Bomb), and have even performed in the youth version way back in secondary school (my first school production – holds a special place in my heart), but I have never been fortunate to watch it LIVE – until now. And let me just say right now, that I was wowed BIG time.
Story
This musical is adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name, but I’m going to assume that the majority of you haven’t read it (but if you have, great. You probably have the jist of the story already, so you can move along).
A beast of a show such as this only deserves a beast of a story – and this one is complex, and lengthy and just…… epic. It begins with a notoriously difficult to pace prologue that introduces the main hero of the piece, Jean Valjean – a former convict (arrested for stealing a loaf of bread in order to save his sister’s son) who is freed after nineteen years by main prison officer Javert. Then we witness Valjean struggling to find work, become victim to an unexpected act of kindness, narrowly escape being thrown back into prison again, musically self reflecting, and finally tearing up the yellow ticket he’s supposed to wear around his neck. It is essentially a a sequence of fast – paced musical scenes that the cast sing through at breakneck speed, and unless you’ve seen this musical several times before and are therefore in the know, (goodness knows how the ‘only – know – the – songs’ party manage) it can be difficult to sit through without, at the least, slightly wondering what on earth is going on. However, it’s necessary background, and as soon as we get into ‘At The End Of The Day’ – the first major number if you like, everything becomes a bit clearer.
By now, Jean Valjean has created a new identify for himself as a wealthy factory owner (with the help of money from stolen silver) and we’re introduced to Fantine – who slaves away in the factory to support her daughter Cosette (who, by the way, is being raised, and abused, by an innkeeper and his wife). After Fantine is disposed, Valjean becomes Cosette’s guardian himself and whisks her away to Paris. However, as the action moves deeper and deeper into the French Revolution, and with Javert constantly in close pursuit, it is a long time before complete peace can be achieved. Along the way, there’s lots of barricade – storming, even more deaths, and lots and lots of singing – until we come to a breathless halt to the heartbreaking finale. It’s one heck of an emotional journey, and I found myself almost in tears at the end of it. Essentially, it’s a story about love, greed, kindness, love, heartbreak, the seeking of redemption…… and it’s miserable. Very miserable. The name could’ve told you that.
Cast
The cast, as a whole and individually, were legendary – each gifted with absolutely exceptional vocals, and each with the ability to infuse their singing with immense amounts of emotion and genuine power (essential in a sung – through musical such as this). In particular, Dean Chisnall as Jean Valjean (he’s played this role before, many times, and it shows) hit it out of the ballpark on both vocal and acting prowess. Throughout, Chisnall’s interpretation of the character enlicted great empathy from the audience, and his breathtakingly enough – to – bring – you – to – tears good ‘Bring Him Home’ (a personal standout) could have rivalled the great Alfie Boe. The latter part of the show, showcasing Vajean as an older man, also showcased Chisnall’s acting range very well. Equally impressive (in voice and statue) was Nic Greenshields as policeman Javert, whose rendition of ‘Stars’ was spine – tingling. A less experienced performer could have portrayed Javert as a pantomime/Disney – esque villain (after all, I suppose you could consider him as the ‘villain’ of this show – although he’s not) but Greenshields provided a genuinely rounded portrayal; and make those of us not in the know realise that, at the end of the day (no pun intended) Javert is only human. Oh, and crucially, Chisnall and Greenshields also played off each other well whenever their characters directly confronted each other – the atmosphere during these moments felt genuinely tense.
Fantine was played by fellow Welshie Lauren Drew who was utterly incredible. Drew packed her ‘Fantine’ with so much determination and then despair; and her singing voice has an absolutely gorgeous tone which she put to brilliant use in a masterfully – sung ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ (another standout). Prereading Drew’s every word was a sense of fragility, so we felt for her every step of the way. The other major female character in this show is the gutsy, courageous Éponine, and the excellent Siobhan O’Driscoll served up the most real portrayal I have ever seen. I’m not sure whether is was a creative decision taken by the actress herself, or the director, or her natural way of speaking – but she sung the role in a strong Liverpudlian accent. Although this was initially slightly strange to hear, I actually really liked it and thought it a really effective way to represent the decisive split between the upper and working classes. But it wasn’t just the accent. Throughout, Driscoll’s Éponine remained angry, passionate, and just so raw; and her ‘On My Own’ (yet another standout) was absolutely captivating and showcased some impressive vocals. This girl has one heck of a belt – I feel she’s definitely going to go far.
This leaves starstruck lovers Cosette and Marius with the shorter end of the stick, as their characters are some of the least interesting in the whole thing (essentially a simple love story) but Paige Blankson and Will Callan did their very best with the material their characters do have – showcasing some good chemistry and duetting beautifully on ‘A Heart Full of Love’ (Blankson’s trilling soprano voice is glorious). Granted, Callan as Marius has a bit more to do – interacting and duetting wonderfully with Driscoll’s Éponine (the emotional ‘A Little Fall Of Rain’ proved to be another tear – jerker), and getting a solo – number all to himself: the haunting ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.’ In amongst the doom and gloom, there were snatches of light relief – almost exclusively provided by Helen Walsh and Ian Hughes as Madame Thénardier and Monsieur Thénardier respectively. These two were so much fun to watch, and they brought the house down with the rambunctious, hilarious ‘Master Of The House.’
There were also some fabulous youngsters starring in the child roles – in this performance Emma Roberts as ‘Little Cosette’ displayed a sweet voice during ‘Castle On A Cloud,’ Mali Grug Evans-Davies makes the most of her brief cameo as ‘Young Éponine’ and Dexter Pulling shone as plucky little street urchin Gavroche. Oh, and I mustn’t forget those who played smaller roles (not least Samuel Wyn – Morris as ‘Enjoras’) and the incredibly hard – working ensemble. The ensemble is truly the backbone of this musical, and each member did a brilliant job, upping the emotional intensity throughout. The power of the chorus numbers in this show is incredibly stirring stuff.
Music
The score of Les Misérables (music by Claude – Michel Schonberg and English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer) is probably the most recognisable in musical theatre history. I defy anyone who proclaim themselves true musical theatre fans to say they have not at least heard of such iconic standards as ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ ‘On My Own,’ ‘Bring Him Home’ and, of course, the rousing ‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ and ‘One Day More.’ I can honestly say that there was not one single musical standout – every single number was equally good, and those epic original arrangements sounded glorious played by the magnificent orchestra (conducted to perfection by Giles Deacon).
Costumes, Set and Technicalities
Like everything else in this show, the set is BIG. This most recent touring production of the show relies heavily (and cleverly) on the use of stunning backdrops inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, which, along with ingenious use of lighting and special effects, and tons immaculately detailed props – effectively conveyed different settings well; from the dingy factory, to the top of the barricade. Oh, and the costumes are ICONIC in the eyes of every MT kid.
The JazzyHands Verdict
What more can I say that hasn’t been said already? Filled with power, raw emotion and beauty, this is a spellbinding production of an epic musical of epic proportions. It’s not the longest – running musical (in the world that is, not just the West End) for nothing. It’s a long show (nearly three hours) but the sheer complexity and depth means it has to be; and it’s near on impossible not to be swept away by the majesty of it all. If I could give it more than five stars, I would – and it’s definitely one I’ll be seeing again in the future. As I write this, the show is at the Millennium Centre for not one, but two days more, so I urge you all if you haven’t already to get a ticket – storm a barricade if you have to. You won’t be disappointed. Just don’t forget the tissues.
Book last – minute tickets to the final Cardiff performances here – Les Misérables | Wales Millennium Centre (wmc.org.uk)