Review: Les Miserables at The Queen's Theatre

Les Miserables
Queens Theatre
Performance: Wednesday 1st August 2012 (matinee)

There is no doubt about it, Les Miserables is the musical of all musicals. While the show has good set, lighting and costumes it is the story, music and talent of the performers which carry the show and make it the most successful West End musical of all time.

The show is set in early 19th-century France and follows the stories of many characters as they struggle for redemption and revolution. People often discuss the length of Les Miserables, saying that they think the show is too long. I did not find the length of the show an issue at all. While three hours is a long time, at no point did I feel bored or 'switch off' as the storyline is so intense and the music is utterly memorising.

Gerónimo Rauch was outstanding as Jean Valjean. When he sung the iconic song, 'Bring Me Home' you could hear a pin drip. His performance was simply stunning. The control of his voice is like nothing I have ever heard before and he left each and every audience member transfixed. 

I also thought Daniel Hope shone as Eponine, showing what a versatile, young actress she is. Cameron Blakely and Katy Secombe provided some much needed light relief as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier. They did not go over the top with their performances and kept their characterisations simple which I think was more effective and funnier.

The children in the cast were also fantastic and performed at an extremely high standard. Every single note that 'Little Cosette' sang was perfectly in tune and the the young actor playing Gavroche gave an endearing performance. 

This show is a must see for any musical theatre fan. I was interested to see that the audience was equally made up of woman and men of all ages, everyone seemed to enjoy it. However, I wouldn't recommend this show for children.

Visit http://www.lesmis.com/home_uk.php to find out more and to book tickets.