REVIEWED: Les Misérables at The Lowry Theatre
| 5th April 2022
The poignant musical, Les Misérables, returned to Manchester on Friday to The Lowry Theatre in Salford. Since opening in 1985, it’s been seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 52 countries and in 22 languages. It’s a classic musical, but it was my first time seeing it.
Because of the popular film adaptation, I was already somewhat familiar with the plot line and songs. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, it’s set in France in the 1800’s and follows convict, Jean Valjean, as he breaks parole and goes on the run.
He’s given another chance in life and the story follows from that point on, where he raises the daughter of a dying factory girl (Fantine) he allowed to be dismissed without a good reason. As the years pass, he cares for Cosette (the daughter) as she falls in love with student Marius, who is part of a group of students who tried to lead a revolution.
Without giving too much away, the musical tackles complex issues in urban French society.
Les Misérables at The Lowry Theatre
It’s quite an intense plot line, filled with despair, poverty, and human fatality so an almost 90-minute-long Act One was a bit too much for me. It’s already quite difficult to unpack the plotline if you haven’t seen it before, so a shorter Act One would have been more suited to me. However, with a musical with the immense success of Les Misérables, this just comes down to personal preference.
‘I dreamed a dream’ was a standout number for me in Act One. Katie Hall, who played Fantine, certainly did the song justice. For such an iconic song I’ve heard some bad renditions over time, but Hall delivered this effortlessly, gliding through the high notes gracefully without shouting.
Another stand-out number was ‘Master of the House’ with Thenardier (Ian Hughes), Madame Thenardier (Helen Walsh) and the customers. This scene provided the comedy that was needed to lift the miserable plot during Act One and was well executed by cast members.
Les Misérables at The Lowry Theatre
After the much-needed interval, Act Two was significantly shorter and more captivating. Opening with another renowned number, ‘On my own,’ Eponine (played by Nathania Ong) also went beyond expectations vocally, making for another memorable part of the musical.
A special mention must go to the scenery and lighting team too. The set was truly magical, it really captured Victor Hugo’s own paintings and provided a representation of France and its ever-changing form during this era. Artistically, I loved how lighting was used to mirror moonlight shining through the windows.
Would I go to see Les Miserables again though? Probably not. Is it a good musical? It’s absolutely fantastic.
For my personal preference, I prefer something a bit more light-hearted with a lighter plot line and if you do go to watch it, I’d advise on watching the film beforehand to get an idea of the story. However, the musical teaches history in a captivating way, it’s tragic and emotional at the same time and it’s clear to see why some people return to the show again and again.
Les Misérables is on at The Lowry Theatre until 23 April, you can get tickets here.