Les Miserables School Edition

LES Miserables  - the musical masterpiece – was chosen by BATS Next Gen - is an everlastingly popular show full of memorable characters and high energy numbers as well as very emotional ballads   It opens in Toulon in 1815 and spans the decades as Jean Valjean moves from prisoner to Mayor while being hunted by Javert. There are several sub-plots in this sung through musical

The set was very clever, moving from scene to scene seamlessly.  The barricade revolved to reveal the carnage and the focal point of the dramatically placed body of fallen Enjolros. There was minimal disruption during the scene changes. The properties were expertly handled, especially the weapons during the battle scenes and bottles etc during the “Master of the House” number. The costumes were excellent, with great attention to detail and were in keeping with the characters and story. The lighting was good. The sound technicians did a superb job. The singing was wonderful; excellent with voices clear and blended well with the live music.

The joy of this production came from the energy, commitment and devotion shown by the cast under the leadership of Gary J Myers as Director and Choreographer.  With his experience, the show was in capable hands. With a variety of characters including Jacob Marshall (Jean Valjean), Matt Roberts (Javert), Sienna Hughes (Fantine), Tori Lowther as Eponine and Charlie Steggall as Marius this was a great opportunity to showcase the talent of the group.  The music, led by Simon Eastwood created a solid sound giving the youngsters superb lead. There were many memorable moments: one of my favourites being Jacob Marshall’s powerful and emotionally charged “Bring Him Home” and Fantine’s “I Dreamed a dream” as well as Eponine’s “On my own”.  The entire cast worked well as a team and this was evident in the ensemble numbers such as “Master of the House” and “Lovely Ladies”.   They were well-rehearsed, full of strength and focus. All aspects of this production were first class and there was a rapturous finale with huge emotional impact which lead to the (almost) full house standing ovation.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.