Les Misrables

*Please note - this show was double-cast, and on the evening that I visited, I saw the Red Cast Principals

On Friday 18th October, it was my pleasure to attend ‘Les Miserables’, as presented by Thornton-Cleveleys Youth Theatre, under the direction of Jenny Daniels. I’ll begin with a simple, one line report and then get into the detail… 

This show was utterly magical from first note to last!

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of ‘Les Miserables’, as sacrilegious as that may sound for a ‘theatre person’. It just doesn’t, generally speaking, do much for me - so I went into this show visit with no strong feelings either way. My stance has always been that the show is too big for young actors, too, so I was feeling tentative when I arrived at the Cre8iv Little Theatre. However, this young cast were so astonishing that I’ve been forced to review my opinions on both counts! My wife and I left the theatre dumb-struck by the quality of what we’d just seen, and then animatedly chatted about the nuance of the show all the way home.

First, let’s start with the director, Jenny Daniels, who is to be resoundingly congratulated for bringing this remarkable production to the stage. Directing is a tough gig, and keeping all of the moving parts running is challenging for even the most talented and organised individuals but Davies showed her quality in this production. Every detail was sharp, precise and joyful from the outset - top tier work.

Alongside Daniels was Musical Director Aimee Duxbury, who had similarly worked wonders with this young and talented cast. There was barely a note out of place all night and the ensemble numbers came off the stage like a freight train. ‘One Day More’ almost knocked me off my seat with its sheer power and quality. It was the explosive end to Act One that this show hinges on. Full marks. Similarly, the opening ensemble number of the show, ‘At The End of The Day’ was a powerhouse statement of intent with which to open proceedings. Note perfect.

Choreography by Elaine Morrison was sharp, clever and very much befitting the grandeur of the show itself. Every performer knew precisely where they needed to be, what they needed to be doing and, most importantly, what the movement meant. Sterling work.

Before I move on to the acting performances, a few words on set, props, costume, lighting and sound… Tens across the board. Near-faultless from first scene to last. The lighting was beautiful and immaculately implemented throughout the show. The stage was bathed in shades of red, white and blue, as befitting the national pride of our closest neighbours. Sound was as good as any live sound I’ve heard in an amateur production, with crystal clarity from every single microphone and no question of a missed cue or mic left hot.

The costumes in this show were stupendous, and huge credit must go to the team of Suzanne Wilkinson, Anne Maclaren, Cheryl Fothergill and Georgia Jackson. Their sumptuous work was as close to perfection as an audience is likely to see. Bravo.

The set was by Jack Price, who also stage managed and whilst it wasn’t a huge budget set and didn’t particularly deviate from what you would traditionally see in ‘Les Miserables’, it was multi-functional and visually impressive. When the various pieces of set were spun around and repositioned to form the barricades, there was an admiring cheer from the audience.

On then, to the acting performances. I’ll try to stop myself from writing a novel…

In the central role of Jean Valjean, an incredibly challenging part to play, was Taylor Cheeseman and at its simplest, he was just breath-taking. The character is in almost every scene of a very long show and Cheeseman’s energy and dedication to the portrayal of this complex and troubled man was astounding. Collectively, the audience were quietly awaiting his coup-de-grace, ‘Bring Him Home’ and when the moment arrived, Cheeseman grabbed it with both hands and extracted every last ounce of emotion from the audience. His vocal performance of this incredibly challenging song was faultless and even more impressive, given that he delivered the whole thing sat down (try it, I double dare you!). A hugely impressive central performance from a young actor with a very bright future.

Valjean’s nemesis and constant thorn in his side, Javert, was played magnificently by Freddie Howson, whose maturity in the role was remarkable. His performance was intense, commanding and increasingly menacing as the piece developed. His focus never flickered, his energy never waned and he showed range beyond his young years. Outstanding.

Marius was played on the night by Joshua Quinn, and he was calm, composed and endlessly able to tap into the complex emotions that the character was experiencing. Another performance which was beyond the young actor’s years - well done, Joshua.

Gavroche is an interesting and challenging role to play, and in this production the actor in question was Ethan Shimwell, who was cheeky, energetic, lively and vocally commanding. I was struck by the actor’s range, when I cast my mind back a few months to seeing him play Pugsley in ‘The Addams Family’ - a totally different role which he also excelled in. A talented young actor to watch closely.

It’s my belief that you can judge the quality of a production of ‘Les Miserables’ based on how good its Thenardiers are, and in these roles, Jack Barratt and Lydia Ball were simply exceptional. Together, the actors became immediately beloved by the audience and made a very good attempt at stealing each and every scene that they were in. They were energetic, naughty, rude, crude and utterly delightful. If I see a more effective pair of Thenardiers in a youth production of ‘Les Miserables’, I’ll eat my shoes. Bravo, bravo, bravo.

Fantine is a limited but pivotal role in ‘Les Miserables’ and any actor playing her has the unenviable task of delivering one of the show’s truly iconic songs, ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. In this production, the task fell to Shinaya Hunte, who extracted a great deal of value from the role. It was abundantly clear from the outset what a talented performer Hunte is, and she held the audience in the palm of her hand. For me, I wanted her to truly let go and allow the emotion of her signature song to wash over her, which I’m not sure that she completely did. However, this doesn’t detract from her remarkable performance in any way because she delivered a highly accomplished rendition of the role.

Eponine is a tricky character to play well, and like Fantine, she also bears the weight of delivering one of the show’s most iconic songs, ‘On My Own’. In this production, Olivia Kohl was more than up to the task and she truly shone in the role. Kohl gave a performance of balance - vulnerable and child-like when necessary and then possessing nerves of steel when the script demanded it. When she stood, almost motionless, and performed her signature song, the audience were breathless. She was astonishing, and gave the song a depth that I wasn't previously convinced that a young actor could.

Two young performers were given the tall task of bringing Young Cosette/Young Eponine and Feuilly to life and did so with aplomb. Both Heidi Dawson and Chelsea Keightley jumped on the trend of performing way beyond their years and showed an intensity and maturity which I have rarely seen in actors their age. Outstanding work, girls.

The older incarnation of Cosette was delightfully played by Aimee Duerden, who gave a confident and assured performance throughout. The songs in ‘Les Miserables’ gave her an excellent opportunity to fully explore her incredible vocal range, hitting notes that would scare the living daylights out of less accomplished performers. Well done, Aimee - you made this role your own.

Peter Ward-Thompson was tasked with bringing two characters to the stage - Enjolras and the Bishop of Digne. What struck me about his performance was his emotional maturity and how he translated that into his acting. Tender and understanding when required, dominant and rabble-rousing when the script called for it. A very accomplished performance from this young actor.

The principal performers were joined on stage by a large, talented and pitch perfect ensemble, who breathed life and energy into the production. Too many to name in this report, unfortunately, but every last one of them is to be highly commended for the incredible work they did on the stage. It was abundantly clear that these performers had been incredibly well-drilled by the outstanding creative team, and had taken on board each of their instructions.

I’ve changed my mind. The ensemble were too good not to name! Huge congratulations to India Pilkington, Annie Dawson, Imogen Hackett, Jack Boyes, Noah Shanagher, Luca Wheeler, Olivia Shawcross, Kayla Meades, Finn Smith, Amelia Handley, Charlotte Slack, Amelia Willacy, Evie Elliott, Isabella Kiernan, Georgia Melvin, Aliyah Ackrell, Scarlett Boylin, Neve Hankey, Anna-Lucia Patisso, Mia Wrigley, Tiana Stephenson and Emily Wade. Every last one of you is a hero.

It’s relatively rare that I enjoy a production quite as much as I enjoyed this one, and that’s doubly unusual, given my normal ambivalence about ‘Les Miserables’ but this show was a revelation. For me, this was a perfect storm of incredible creative team, unbelievably talented young performers and super-human technical people and as the audience collectively rose to its feet for the curtain call, and cheered until hoarse, I wondered how often I would have the opportunity to see a piece of youth theatre this accomplished. It isn’t hyperbole to state that this is, quite simply, one of the very best pieces of youth theatre I’ve seen in thirty years of watching shows. Astonishing. If this is what the people of District 2 are capable of, the future is very bright indeed.

No notes.

 

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