In it’s 29th year, seen by millions of people and now a major motion picture. What is it that makes Les Miserablés so popular?
It is a variety of reasons.
First the powerful storyline, based on a novel by Victor Hugo, Les Miserablés follows the story of convicted prisoner Jean Valjean, his escape and how he tries to rebuild of his life and become an honest man. This is tricky when he is constantly running away from the prison officer Javert who dedicates his life to bringing him to justice. Nevertheless Valjean does indeed, in time become a pillar of society and the owner of a factory as well as the town mayor.
It is discovered that one of his workers Fantine has an illegitimate child and is subsequently sacked by the foreman (cue the song I dreamed a dream). She falls in disrepute but as she dies (the first death of many in the show) Valjean promises he’ll take care of her daughter Cosette.
To cut a long story short:
there is a student revolution – lots of young chaps with lots of passion,
an impressive barricade – for the young chaps to climb upon
a love story – Cosette and one of the smart young men Marius
no wait – a love triangle – add Eponine a young wench who just so happens to be the daughter of:
The Thenadiers – who just so happened to look after Cosette when she was little.
I don’t mean to be flippant about the plot, there is just such a lot to it and you can easily find it elsewhere on the internet. It is a story about love, loyalty, duty, despair and passion. There is none like it. I did read the book once, trust me this is like a highlights show 🙂
So the story is powerful, but that is not all. For me it is the music that makes Les Miserablés the success that it is. It was the first show that I saw that the music and lyrics were an integral part of the story and not just add-ons to enhance the production. The original music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, (English libretto by Herbert Kretzmer) I still consider after many times seeing the show musical theatre at it’s very best!
It is emotive, powerful, heart-wrenching and my favourite score of all time.
Les Miserablés is a true ensemblé piece. Each character is important and it is hard to know which is my favourite. Obviously Valjean is the pivotal character but without the innocence of Cosette, the desperation of Fantine, the passion of the students, the love of Eponine and the black comic timing of the Thenadiers the show wouldn’t be complete.
I am not going to lie, you will not leave Les Miserablés without feeling as though you have been wrung through a wringer. I promise you though, you will have seen theatre at it’s best.
Sammi O’Neill
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Read about London’s other top musicals