by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg; Herbert Kretzmer lyricist
seen at the Capitol Theatre (Sydney) on 2 September 2015
This production of the long-running musical features new set designs by Matt Kinley, but the whole affair is still supervised by Cameron Mackintosh. The cast includes Simon Gleeson as Jean Valjean, Hayden Tee as Inspector Javert, Patrice Tipoki as Fantine, Trevor Ashley as Thénardier, Lara Mulcahy as Madame Thénardier, Kerry Anne Greenland as Éponine, Emily Langridge as Cosette, Euan Doidge as Marius and Chris Durling as Enjolras.
The unlikely success of turning a sprawling 19th-century novel by Victor Hugo into a fantastically successful three hour musical is no longer news - but it remains a surprising and striking achievement. The decades-long struggle between the ex-convict Valjean and his steadfast pursuer Javert underpins the narrative, but our attention is also drawn to a ridiculously romantic pair of young lovers, to an unscrupulous couple of parvenus, and to the doomed 1830 Paris revolution in which 'schoolboys' (perhaps more accurately idealistic but painfully young university students) pit themselves against the military might of a conservative state.
