LES MISÉRABLES celebrates this 2010 its 25th Anniversary. The musical was written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil based on the popular novel by Victor Hugo. It originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on 8 October 1985, and 25 years later, the show still continues its sucess at the Queen´s Theatre, being the longest running musical in West End history.

To mark this 25th Anniversary, producer Cameron Mackintosh decided to create a new tour production of the show, that will stop off at several cities from the United Kingdom and Europe (currently, the only confirmed non-British city is Paris). This long-awaited production opened at Cardiff´s Wales Millennium Centre on 12 December, 2009. Next stop is Manchester’s Palace Theatre (from 19 January to 13 February). Then it will be staged at Norwich (from 16 February to 20 March), Birmingham (from 23 March to 17 April), Edinburgh (from 20  April to 15 May), Paris (from 26 May to 4 July), Bristol (from 13 July to 7 August), Salford (from 10 August to 21 August) and Southampton (from 24 August to 11 September). And, although is not yet official, it is expected that this renewed staging of LES MISÉRABLES will return to its original home, the Barbican Theatre in London, on September – October 2010 coinciding with the date that will mark the 25th anniversary.

Laurence Connor and James Powell are the directors of this new production that keeps the book practically unchanged, but has a whole new conception of the show. This new conception is supported by an spectacular scenic design conceived by Matt Kinley. It is based on video projections inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. These projections bring more luminosity to the show.

The creative team has paid special attention to bring together a high level cast that includes some of the performers who have already been part of LES MISÉRABLES history along with well-known names that appeal to a wide audience, and new faces that certainly will have a prominent name in the not too distant future. So the cast of this tour production brings together performers such as John Owen Jones –the best Jean Valjean of the history according Mackintosh–, Earl Carpenter (Javert) or Jon Robyns (Enjolras); along with famous artists as Gareth Gates (Marius); and young performers as Madalena Alberto (Fantine) or Katie Hall (Cosette).

From the very beginning of the show, the spectador perceives a new scent on the stage. This production of LES MISÉRABLES still continues mantaining its essence, but it has been updated in several ways. Apart from the aforementioned scenic design, another one of the most significant changes are the new orchestrations. These new orchestrations contribute to create renewed versions of songs that over the years have become anthems of the genre. This is the case of “I Dreamed a Dream”, one of the most popular themes of the musical that has been sung by hundreds of artists worldwide. On this production, this song sounds more hoarse and passionate, not as lyrical as the original. Madalena Alberto, the actress who plays the role of Fantine, fulfills all expectations, and her brilliant and moving performance is one the highlights of the first act of the show. Another of the songs that has been "updated" is "On My Own", with a rythm&blues touch perfectly performed by Rosalind James. She also offers a touching scene with Marius in “A Little Fall of Rain”.

Madalena Alberto as Fantine in LES MISÉRABLES

But obviously, the actor who carries the weight of the show is John Owen-Jones. He plays the role of Jean Valjean, the convict who breaks his parole and is pursued relentlessly by inspector Javert. Owen-Jones leads his role from bitterness and resentment to honesty and loyalty, trough a road of expiation and humanity. He offers a superb performance that reaches its climax with the song “Bring Him Home”.

This new production of LES MISÉRABLES has many changes compared to the production that can be seen at the Queen’s Theatre in the West End. Some of them have been forced by the removal of the revolving stage that identifies the original production. From the first number (“Look Down”) until the end of the performance, those who know the London show will find surprises in the staging of each one of the musical numbers. Some these numbers have a completely different conception that enriches them. It is clear that all people involved on this production have took care of every single detail, and the book has also been treated with an exquisite care.

This production of LES MISÉRABLES has attained such magnitude that an album will be released. This is not a common fact in tour productions. The album will be recorded live in Manchester. This will be the second time that the complete score of LES MISÉRABLES is recorded with an active cast from the United Kingdom, after the recording of the original cast back in 1988.

The expectation created by this tour production is so great that even the West End show has captured again the attention of London audiences, who want to recall the original staging. Currently, the cast at the Queen´s Theatre is lead by Simon Bowman (Jean Valjean), Hans-Peter Janssens (Javert), Rebecca Seale (Fantine), Martin Ball (Thénardier), Lorraine Bruce (Madame Thénardier), Alistair Brammer (Marius), David Thaxton (Enjolras), Emily Bull (Cosette) and Nancy Sullivan (Eponine). Last January 5, the company celebrated performance number 10.000 in London, marking an historic milestone.

Comparisons are odious, and every member of the audience will have his own opinion about which one of the two stagings is the best. But it is clear that this new tour production is superb, a must-see for every lover of this show, because it has allowed LES MISÉRABLES to return to its full glory.

Jon Robyns, John Owen-Jones and Gareth Gates