• Showing at: The Palace Theatre, London, UK.
• Season: Last 18 years - Infinity and beyond?
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• Entertainment Rating: 95%
• Drama Rating: 97%

Les Miserables has been running for the last 18 years and shows no sign of ending any time soon. The big question is; What makes this musical so impressive that a London Theatre is prepared to show the same show for 18 years running?

The play is sophisticated, energetic, deep, and incredibly powerful. I think to truly understand the significance of this play, the audience must be deep and thoughtful about the characters and events. Without this sense of understanding, I believe the play would not be appreciated as it should be. This is not something you can take your children to and assume they will enjoy it. This is something you must really think about and understand.

It's impossible to say that Les Miserables centers itself round a single character. Jean Valjean would be considered the main character, as the play revolves around his journey through life and through the 1800's and French revolution, however you literally fall in love with a lot of the characters. Each one represented a quality of man that is easy to identify and very easy to admire. This process of "falling in love" with the characters is an important part of the play, as it prepares the audience for the deeper significance of the story:

You fall in love with Jean Valjean (played by Hans Peter Janssens) because of his charitable character. He represented how man can change with hard work and represented charity. Despite all odds, he is able to continue surviving, not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of others.

Fantine (Carmen Cusack) was admired and pitied because she lost her job and so lost all hope of supporting her child. Giving up her own life to save the life of her child was the quality that made this character saintly.

The loveable Eponine (Sophia Ragavelos) was easy to identify and admire too. She represented true love for another as she helps her friend Marius make contact with his future wife, despite being in love with the man herself - and eventually gives up her own life to deliver a love letter through gunfire to ensure their future and love together.

And even the ammunition boy was adored for his antics, but also by his loyalty to his revolutionary friends. His death while finding ammunition for them represented true loyalty, and it was significant he compared himself to a dog while doing so.

Each one of these characters broke all stereotypes and thoughts about human nature. These characters went outside what they were stereotyped as. Jean Valjean was the biggest example of this, managing to turn from prisoner to saint, shrugging off the prejudice of police constable Javert.

But just as importantly, the Thenardier couple (the landlord and landlady, played by the hilarious Stephen Tate and Rosemary Ashe) played a big role in the play. Behind their humour (and believe me, they were very funny) their characters represented a sinister part of man-kind; greed and selfishness. These two were pick-pockets, beggars, and took advantage of every person they could lay their hands on, and it was noticeable that these two were the only survivors of the whole cast apart from the married couple Corsette and Marius.

And it was here where the message and tragedy of this play seemed to dawn on me. It seemed as if this play was telling me that true saints will always become martyrs because of the prejudice, greed, lack of forgiveness, and ambitions of others (represented by the Thenardier couple and Javert). The real message seemed to be, that although the saints of this play died tragically, they all died truly happy because they had sacrificed their own short-term happiness for the happiness of another. And so you see, that "The Miserable" are not those who tragically died, but those who act in their own interests only. Why? Because when somebody as admirable as these characters die, you cry. Yet... you smiled and cried - it's a very odd feeling, yet Les Mis forces it out of you. If this can be understood by the audience, a greater feeling of depth and significance adds to the raw energy of the music and laughter of this play.

Coming out of a theatre and feeling as if you have just learned a valuable lesson in life is possibly the most significant hallmark of a powerful production. It comes as no surprise to me that this musical has been running for 18 years. 

And with songs as beautiful as "A little fall of rain" and "On my own," you don't miss out on a fantastic musical performance, especially with such a professional production by The Palace Theatre, accompanied by singers and actors who play their roles as if it were their last performance ever.

Although it's hardly a play for the family, if this play's depth can be appreciated, you are in for one enjoyable, energetic, and powerful play, and it was proven by the standing ovation.

Review by Richard Turner (27th July 2003)

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