Les Misérables

Story

Set in 19^th Century France, Les Misérables follows the life of Jean Valjean, who served 19 years of hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. When released Valjean is unable to get a job, until a Bishop’s act of kindness leads him to break his parole and start a new life. Over the years he is constantly chased by Javert, an overzealous police officer; he saves the child of a dying woman and raises her as his own; and he is swept into the July Uprising 1932 when a group of young idealists try to overthrow the government.

Why we chose it

Les Misérables has become a global phenomenon, loved by millions and performed across the world. For every age and every time of life there is a song to connect to and a character to love, allowing it to become the West End’s longest running musical ever.

Where it came from

Les Misérables was originally a French novel by Victor Hugo, written in 1862. From there Claude-Michel Scönberg, Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel created a French concert album which premiered in Paris in 1980. Scönberg then approached Cameron Mackintosh to create the English version.

Where it went next

The English musical was originally reviewed badly by critics but audiences loved it. In 1987 it was taken to Broadway and ran until 2003 with revivals from 2006-2008 and 2014-2016. In the UK there have been special concerts to celebrate the 10^th and 25^th anniversaries; each involving many of the original cast plus numerous celebrity guests including Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas, both of whom have also starred in Les Misérables in the West End.

Associated stories

In 2012 a film version was released starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway. Unlike most films of musicals, nearly every song was recorded live on set rather than being pre-recorded, in order to capture the depth of the performances.

There have also been two non-musical film adaptations of the novel, one in 1978 and one in 1998. In 2019 the BBC released a TV series which contained far more of the original book than any of the musical versions.