Les Miserables (School Edition)

“Les Misérables” is surely amongst the greatest musicals ever written.  Its epic scale and imperious score have been enthralling and moving audiences in the West End for almost forty years as the broad sweep of history is played out through the intertwining lives of some of the people caught up in the drama.  The songs are absurdly familiar, the imagery and spectacle are entrenched in the memory, and the finely-drawn characters are like old friends.  All of this brings challenges.  Is it even possible for a youth company to bring out the grandeur and the emotional power of this musical in a school theatre?  On a limited budget? In a week?

There were some early indications of the issues the company faced: how could an ensemble of young, predominantly female voices realistically evoke the unremitting violence and squalor of the chain gang?  But another of this musical’s great strengths is that it doesn’t hang about in one place for very long, and we are soon caught up in Jean Valjean’s life-defining encounter with the Bishop of Digne.  It’s a short scene but vitally important, and here it set the tone for what was to follow in more ways than one: the characters who flit in and out of the principal narrative were all so well defined, their sung lines so capably performed, that the quality of the story-telling propelled the company through the near two and three quarter hour running time in the blink of an eye.  And if the depth of talent here is remarkable, then there were also several exceptional performances in leading roles to admire.

The ensemble work was accomplished, with strong unison and secure part-singing.  The balance between the impressive 12-piece orchestra and the onstage performers was generally excellent, with the singers’ words coming across clearly.  The blend of strings, woodwind and brass brought the score to life, and the orchestrations to numbers such as “Who Am I?” and “Drink With Me” really enhanced the emotional potency of the show.  Live music, when done this well, adds an immense amount to the audience’s experience.  “Les Misérables” isn’t really a dance show, but the company made the most of the available opportunities, such as the wedding scene.  Stage movements, such as the advance of the revolutionaries led by Enjolras, had been carefully thought through.

The hired set filled the stage without overwhelming it, and was flexible enough to serve the many different locations of the action.  The upper level was well utilised throughout, and there were a number of impressive tableaux, most notably on the barricade with the defenders artfully arrayed across it.  The lighting design was very theatrical in concept, and the illumination of the barricade, with a bit of haze hanging above the stage, produced imagery that would not have looked out of place in a West End souvenir brochure.

YOBOS is not just developing onstage talent: the Youth Tech Team comprised five young people, and they were given space in the programme to explain which aspects of theatrical production appealed to them.  But then, the creative team all have backgrounds in or working with the group, illustrating how theatrical youth groups play a vital role in developing future talent.  I don’t believe there can be many finer examples of this anywhere in the country.

This was the fifth YOBOS production I have seen, and while it is not really my place to make comparative judgments, this was surely the group’s greatest achievement yet.  Not only is “Les Misérables” a vast, sprawling musical, an epic tale set to a magnificent score, but it is also packed with technical and creative challenges.  Above all, everyone knows the work at some level, so expectations are high, comparisons are inevitable, the pressure is on.  This production faced down the challenges, exceeded expectations, and stands any comparison.  It was a wonderful show, and everyone involved should feel immensely proud of it.

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