Les Miserables - Schools Edition

Lincroft Academy’s first production as a NODA member was certainly a tour de force, for both cast and the production team, and one which I felt worked really well, with the whole cast fully invested in the feel of the piece.  Musically strong, with mostly good expression and projection.

The set was minimalistic, which suited the general atmosphere of the time and place, with easily movable props and trolleys being slid into place by the cast, so no real scene change breaks, thus keeping the tone and mood running seamlessly, which I found very pleasing,

Costumes echoed the slightly stark feel of the set, and were mostly suitable, although I wanted Valjean and Javert to be a bit smarter to distinguish them from the other characters, and there were a couple of hairstyles from the young ladies that were not suitable for the time and era in which the show was set – I only mention smaller things like this as they catch the eye and take away from the overall look.

Choreography was suitable for the time and setting of the show, and everyone did well.

I was very impressed with the sound – no late mic cues, and the sound balance between cast and the track were spot on – very difficult to get right with so many mics, so well achieved.

Lighting was good – I liked the interchange between red and blue spots depending on the featured actor, and the ‘barricade’ effects were really good.  Everything was kept well within the ambience of the whole production.

Jean Valjean (Jamie H) – a good performance, and the fact that he only had a short while in rehearsal showed his commitment – well done.

Javert (Ethan W) – an arresting performance, he got the feel of the character well, showing a strong singing voice and good reactions.  I thought his ‘suicide’ was very cleverly done.

Fantine (Gabriella C) showed us a fine voice and good acting ability.

Cosette (Imaan R) was charming.  I liked her relationship with Marius (Joe T), who achieved the feel of the young man who found his love – both sang well with very good interaction.

Eponine (Lourdes B) gave us a delightful portrayal, showing her care for Marius, very expressive, well achieved.

Thenardier (Mohammad H) acted the character so well, he got the sly, corrupt character spot on, with plenty of comedy, excellently achieved.  His equally cunning wife Madame Thenardier (Emmanuella C) was played with great understanding of the lady, very full-on – this was a great comedy duo.

Enjolras (Josh M) made his mark, singing and acting the part of a revolutionary leader with gusto, whilst Gavroche (Jasper C) was exactly right, his interpretation of the young lad with a natural enthusiasm for life.

The Bishop of Digne (Imelda B) gave a fine performance, and showed a lovely top range of voice in Bring Him Home, which was shared with Valjean – a good idea, well achieved.

Vocally, many students rose to the challenge of the demanding score, with some standout singing performances. However, there were instances where breath control and vocal support could be improved to ensure consistency and projection, especially in solo moments.

A few performers began tentatively but grew into their roles with confidence, showing clear development over the course of the performance.

Space precludes me from naming other principals and ensemble, but suffice to say they all interacted well, and gave good performances throughout, making this a skilled production overall.

I was delighted to be able to review Lincroft Academy’s first NODA production, my thanks to the Director for the valuable information regarding cast and the production – difficult to believe the ages of the performers, as there were some very mature performances on show, and thanks to the Front of House staff for looking after us so well.

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