LES MISERABLES SCHOOL EDITION

Les Miserables is one of my favourite shows (having seen the professional production 17 times!) so this young cast had a lot to live up to – and I was most certainly not disappointed.  Congratulations must go to Mark Allan (Director) and Mike Gilroy (Musical Director) for such a superb production, which I am sure will leave Ilkley AOS audiences absolutely enthralled.

Toby Womack was simply outstanding as Jean Valjean – his characterisation and vocals were faultless.

Daniel Burgess gave the most commanding performance as Inspector Javert – the clarity and diction of his vocals were a joy to hear.  His rendition of “Stars” is one of the best I have heard. 

Faith Martin as Fantine had the most hauntingly beautiful voice – again, the clarity and diction in her voice was absolutely stunning.

Gabriel Jones as Marius is another young man to watch out for in the coming years – he had some lovely tender scenes with both Eponine and Cosette, and his emergent relationship with Jean Valjean was very moving.

Evie Clark as Eponine, and Katie Burns as Cosette gave such mature performances, and as with the others mentioned above, their voices were absolutely beautiful and crystal clear.

There was great rapport between the principals with lovely blending of voices from everyone. Each of the principals were extremely strong – not one weak link – and it really was hard to believe their ages.  Young Cosette (Jemima Wilcock) and Gavroche (Quillan Andre) had such beautiful voices and stage presence for such a young age...definitely two “stars” to watch out for in years to come!

There was beautiful ‘acting through song’ throughout the production and some great characterisations by every one of the ensemble players.  I particularly loved the staging of “Turning” which then segued into “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” – the most effective use of lit candles which I thought was breathtaking.

The right balance was achieved between the comedic scenes and the more dramatic numbers.  It was obvious that the performers were really enjoying their performance experience – and what a confidence booster for them it must have been to get a standing ovation at the end of opening night.  Well deserved!

The set was excellent and I loved the use of the shutters, with the most stunning lighting effects.  The use of the passerelle gave this production a most fluid feel and really brought the action to the audience.  The staging and the lighting of Javert’s suicide was also most effective.

So often a show can be let down by the sound – however on this occasion this was not the case. Everyone could be heard clearly at all times (all perfomers had excellent diction), with the balance of the singers and the orchestra just right – this made the show so much more enjoyable.

It was lovely to go to a youth production and see a show with a full orchestra – so often youth productions perform to backing tracks – but for this show a full orchestra seems essential and was a joy to listen to and complemented the very talented singers perfectly.  Congratulations to Mike Gilroy and his brilliantly talented musicians.

A well rehearsed and extremely polished show creating a superb evening’s entertainment.

 

 

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