“I Dreamed a Dream in Time Gone By…” – Les Miserables, Queens Theatre, London 2.12.13

So finally after much waiting and patience, my 24th birthday came around, and within my Birthday card from my Mum and Dad, was money, to go towards purchasing tickets for Les Miserables in London, that night I searched the Web, and luckily my friend had the money, cause I found Row C seats 8 and 9 for the 2nd December, they were two good to let by, and I received my confirmed e-mail minutes later! I was Finally going to see Les Miserables and I couldn’t have been happier, and it was all I could have asked for, and more!

After a brilliant day in London, feeling festive after going to the Winter Wonderland, and enjoying the fair at leicester square! We walked past M&M world, and down the road that led to the Queens Theatre, a quick search of the Stage door and then we waited for them to open the doors to front of house. This was my first time of course at the Queens Theatre, and I will admit I was surprised at how small it was, and our seats as I said before Row C seats 8 and 9 costing £72.15 (I was thankful for my parents to give me the money towards these seats, Les Miserables is constantly on high demand having full houses for most of their performances, so it is highly unlikely that you would find good cheap seats unless you queue for day tickets at the theatre, or await if there has been any cancellations), the view was not one to be complained about and we were able to see everything that was happening, and no restrictive views! We were that eager to get into our seats, and were the first ones in, and at first the famous logo wasn’t on the curtain, but when it appeared the butterflies in my stomach were on high speed!

When the lights dimmed it was show time, and the orchestra was playing, a smile spread across my face, and it didn’t leave it till the standing ovation (though moments of tears did come across in some scenes, tissues are advised for this show!)

The scenery for Les Mis, is very simplistic, with the odd props of furniture such as table and chairs, but it is the revolving stage that creates the swift change of scenes, as Les Mis is forever flowing with its beautifully sung music. The only huge bit of staging which is hidden on the sides until it is brought forward in the scenes in Paris, where the wall has been built during the revolution, this wall creates the streets of Paris, and the main setting for the revolution, and when it changes, you forget what it was before. It was just so smooth, and with there being less scenery, it enabled the audience to focus on the characters and the story that was being sung!

The Story of Les Miserable, is created by many stories told though the amazing characters, the main focus is prisoner 24601, who was freed from his 19 years on the chain gang, Javert the head policemen informs him that he will always be a prisoner, which proves true for while he is trying to find a life for himself again, he finds himself one of an outcast, when a Bishop brings him a kind heart, he decides to start his life anew “Who am I? I’m Jean Valjean!” 19 years past since Valjean broke parole, changing his name he becomes quite successful, and mayor, one on the workers of his factory Fantine, who is working to pay for medicines for her daughter, gets wrongly dismissed and is driven to selling her locket, hair, and becomes a whore selling herself to men, but when she gets into a fight with a prospective customer, and is about to be taken prisoner by Javert, Valjean demands that she be taken to hospital.
Valjean, carrying on his kind hearted spree, then rescues a man who was pinned beneath a cart, reminding Javert of the abnormal strength of 24601, who informs the real Valjean that a man has been recaptured in his name, this shakes Valjean who unable to see an innocent man go to prison, confesses that he is the prisoner.  Jean Valjean goes to the hospital where Fantine is on her deathbed, he promises her that he will find and look after her daughter Cosette, when Fantine passes, Javert arrives to arrest Jean Valjean, who pleads that he be allowed to follow his promise to Fantine, Javert does not agree, and they fight, Valjean escapes.
Cosette has been lodged with the Thenardiers, who have been treating her badly, while they indulge their own daughter Eponine with toys and dresses, Jean Valjean arrives and pays the Thenardiers to allow him to take Cosette away, and raise her as his daughter.
9 years pass, and in the city of Paris unrested as the likely demise of the popoular leader General Lamarque, the only man who is left in the government who shows any feeling for the poor. Thenardier have now become living on the streets, and set on Jean Valjean and Cosette, who are rescued by Javert, who luckily does not recognise he is who he is searching for.
Eponine who with her family now living on the street, but is friends, and secretly in love with student Marius, she reluctantly agrees to assist him in finding Cosette to whom he saw in the streets and has fallen in love with her at first site.
With the loss of Gernal Lamarque, a group of politically-minded students go out into the streets, to find support for the revolution.
Elsewhere Cosette is forever thinking of Marius, whom she has fallen in love with as well. Eponine finds Cosette and brings Marius to her.  While she is there she prevents an attempt by her fathers gang to rob Valjean’s house. Which led Valjean to believe it is Javert after him, and tells Cosette that they must flee the country to be safe, “ONE DAY MORE”
The students build the barricade. Noticing that Eponine had joined the insurrection, Marius sends her away with a letter to Cosette, which gets intercepted by her ValJean.  Eponine goes and decided to rejoin her love at the barricade.
With the barricade built, and the revolutionaries defy an army warning to give up or die, Javert is exposed as the police spy. Then on returning to the barricade, Eponine is shot and is killed in the arms of Marius, who finds the true feelings in the song of “A Little Spot of Rain”
Valjean joins the barricade in search of Marius. He is given the chance to kill Javert but instead lets him go. The students settle, and in the quiet of the night, Valjean prays to god to save Marius, “Bring him home.”  The next day the rebels are all killed.
Valjean however escapes into the sewers with an unconscious Marius, while trudging through them they come across Thenardier, who is robbing the corpses of the dead, and then after Valjean comes across Javert, and pleads once more for time to take Marius to hospital. Javert lets him go, and unbending the principles of justice now shattered by Valjean’s mercy, he kills himself.
Marius now recovering unaware of whom rescued him from the barricade, is left to mourn for the loss of his friends though the song “Empty Chairs, and Empty Tables.”  with the care from Cosette he recovers well, and Valjean confesses the truth of his past to Marius, and insist that he must leave.
During the wedding of Cosette and Marius, the Thenardiers try to blackmail Marius, saying that Cosette’s father murdered, and with proof of a ring which he stole from Marius in the sewers leads Marius to realise that it was Valjean who rescued him that night .  He takes Cosette to go to Valjean, where she learns for the first time her own history, before Valjean passes and join Fantine, and Eponine in heaven.

This very story is told throughout through song, and it is beautifully done, and I was blown away!

Who is it that sings this production, but an amazing talented cast, and this night was played by:

Marius – Rob Houchen

Jean Valjean played by understudy Chris Holland, was great, his voice and portrayal of Valjean was heart warming, and you could tell that he was loving what he was doing, I was anxious to hear his Bring Him Home  for having listened to Hugh Jackman sing, and in my opinion ruin the song, i was so happy to have it replaced by Chris, his voice was warming and emotional, LOVED IT! Being an understudy when he left at the stage door he did swiftly walk away, but I just couldn’t let my first Jean Valjean walk away and not say hello and thank you. Lucky we caught him and got a photo and signature, he was quite surprised to see us, but thankful also, and responded to my tweet 🙂

We were lucky that we had Tam Mutu play Javert having been on holiday the week before, and he is so amazingly strong within his role, that when you see him in person you wouldn’t believe he was Javert.  He completely took on the role, and his final song was jaw dropping good, and the way they perform his killing of himself is so original (you will have to see it, to understand) He was lovely to chat with and also replied to my tweet 🙂

Na-Young Jeaon who played Fantine, had me in tears in her finale scene, she was lovely and her voice was beautiful.