Les Miserables School Edition

This was my first visit to a Centre Stage production but with the wealth of talent here I hope it won’t be my last. The set looked fabulous and the barricades were well constructed and looked great. The costumes and props were very in keeping with the period and the lighting plot complimented the settings wonderfully well. This was an opening night performance and apart from a few technical hitches on sound and miking it all went really well. The chorus all worked really hard, taking a variety of roles and it was clear that the MD and Directors had spent a lot of time drilling and going over complex songs and harmonies. The cast were very strong in their parts with Gaby Pickin playing young Cosette and singing beautifully. Equally William Bours was brilliant as Gavroche in both song and acting. The Thenadiers were well cast in Nathaniel Shatwell and Niamh Brazier. Both acted the comic parts very well with good delivery of lines and songs. Dale Gough played a few roles including Enjolras with a lovely tone on “The Peoples Song”. Cosette was beautifully played by Lydia Adams including fabulous vocals on “A Heart Full of Love” opposite Thomas Fastiggi who produced a convincing performance as the love struck Marius. Sacha Allen delivered a good all round performance as Fantine with lovely vocals on “I Dreamed a Dream” and Bethany Cryer as Eponine was simply fabulous. Her vocals and diction were crystal clear and her acting opposite Marius was very touching and believable. The two leads of course have to age a significant number of years throughout the show and Silas Elliot as Jean Valjean and Andrew Hobson acted and sang their socks off performing the transitions with ease. Silas put in a very commanding performance with a maturity beyond his years with fabulous vocals and great acting skills. Andrew commanded the stage every time he was on it and his vocals on “Stars” were quite simply brilliant. A huge well done to everyone involved in this fabulous production which received a well deserved standing ovation on the night I was in. The whole show was really well put together with great direction and music and a cast of very talented young people.

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