Review: Les Miserables, Queen's Theatre, Saturday 16 October 2010

It is no secret that I am a fan of Les Miserables - a quick glance at my post in honour of the musical's 25th anniversary will tell you that much. So I was in two minds about reviewing my most recent outing to Queen's Theatre this weekend; I would hardly be writing from a wholly objective standpoint. But I have placed my doubts aside to set down my impressions of the current production of Les Mis, a production that has been slightly neglected of late, standing in the shadow of its anniversary sister production.

Saturday's performance had much to recommend it. Good thing number 1) excellent audience behaviour. This is completely unrelated to the production itself, but considering that last time I went to see Les Mis my fellow audience members repeatedly changed seats, talked during the performance and answered mobile phone calls (I've expressed my ire regarding this in a previous post), this made a vast difference to my experience. Of course this might have had something to do with the fact that I was sitting in the dress circle (thanks to my wonderful parents!) rather than right at the back of the theatre ...

Good thing number 2) some outstanding performances from the cast. Simon Bowman is an excellent Jean Valjean, providing the heart of the show and delivering a deeply moving rendition of 'Bring Him Home'. For me John Owen Jones will always be the ultimate Valjean and he is a hard act to rival, but Bowman comes very close. Another highlight is Samantha Barks' heartbreaking Eponine, her impressive performance coming as a pleasant surprise; from the initial promise she showed in the BBC's 'I'd Do Anything' she has improved almost beyond recognition.

The production design has barely changed since I last saw the show, the set with its masterful revolving stage as effective as ever. There is arguably slight overkill with the dry ice, but in moments such as the sewer scene this proves extremely evocative of the setting. Striking images abound, with the sight of Enjolras' body on the barricades wrapped in the red flag etched vividly upon my memory.

Of course the show is not without its weaknesses. Despite excellent comic timing, Martin Ball's Thenardier is somewhat lacking and his vocals are underwhelming, whilst I found Alistair Brammer's Marius a little halting. I have also always thought the staging of Javert's suicide disappointing, lacking the visual impact to back up the emotional punch of the music.

Nevertheless, my verdict is that after 25 years Les Miserables is still fresh and capable of delivering the same emotional impact to audiences night after night, as the overwhelming standing ovation testifies. For me at least the magic has not faded.