Les Miserables - 25th Anniversary Tour
I find it hard to believe it's been 25 years since Les Miserables changed the way we thought about musicals but instead of rolling out yet another tour, Cameron Mackintosh has created a new realisation of what is already an iconic piece of musical theatre.
The new production which is currently at the Edinburgh Playhouse, has been re-directed, re-orchestrated and given a technically breath-taking new set. It's fast. The pace at which the first act moves from scene to scene and carries you through the prologue into the heart of revolutionary France is done with such clarity and momentum that I found myself understanding far more about the characters and storyline than the original.
If cuts have been made you would never notice them.
John Owen Jones is, as always, brilliant as Jean Val Jean, and Earl Carpenter's Javert appears more rounded and human in character than his London portrayal, perhaps due to the new direction. But what this Production does is breathe new life into a classic and presents a far more cinematic journey through a story concerned with characters - not just singing.
On the whole I would have said the male ensemble was featured far more than the female thus appearing as a stronger element in the show.
This is the Les Mis to see. No wonder this Production is the version soon to be seen all over the world.
