REVIEW: Les Misérables, Stratford Musical Theatre Company

Les Misérables, Stratford Musical Theatre Company, Stratford ArtsHouse, 9th March

Stratford Musical Theatre Company had a simple dream: they wanted to put on what many hold as the greatest theatrical musical of all time, Les Misérables. When they were refused the rights, did they let the dream die? No! Like spirited revolutionaries they dreamed another impossible dream: they would put on the school’s edition (rights granted no problem) with performers aged up to 18… it would be a mega production, with a cast of 80 — the biggest musical theatre production Stratford has ever seen — and after six months’ hard graft it would be a mind-blowing stonker of a show.

So, ladies and gentleman, did the dream become a reality?

Absolutement with beaucoup bells on.

Gather together 80 talented kids singing their hearts out to such soul-stirring numbers as Do You Hear The People Sing?, add a brilliant orchestra, spectating parents and doting grandparents, and you can imagine the audience’s responses were emotional, with tears and pride flowing freely.

But as an impartial observer, with no relations involved, I can honestly say that this Les Mis had more emotional resonance than a bunch of West End shows or a bargain bin full of DVDs of the film version.

Les Misérables tells the story of the Paris uprising of 1832, when the people built barricades in the city and fought injustice and poverty — with most of the rebels losing their lives in the process. At the centre of the story is Jean Valjean, former convict turned goodie, whose internal struggles are contrasted against the wider political machinations.

This production picked up beautifully on the Les Mis aesthetic without ever seeming cheesy or overdone. The orchestra were onstage (and later cleverly get blocked off by a barricade), allowing the performers to take over the large circular ArtsHouse floor, while the audience look down from the raked seating. The grandness of the staging, lighting and sound added to the epic feel of the production; it totally owned the space and is the best use of the ArtsHouse I’ve seen. While the sets were minimal, in contrast the costumes perfectly conjured the era and the status of the characters — Javert stomps in his regalia; Mme Thenardier favours a gaudy ballgown; her husband sports an outfit worthy of a ridiculed Malvolio; while the oppressed masses wear the simpler garb of the 19th century poor.

But ultimately of course it was the incredibly impressive young players that gave this show such heart and soul. Steered more than ably by director Judi Walton, and under the baton of acclaimed young local musical director Sam Young (who is off to study music at Trinity College, Cambridge) and an army of backstage crew and helpers, the maturity and ability of the young cast was incredibly impressive.

A few shoutouts must go to the principal actors: Isaac Aston was a thoughtful and charming Jean Valjean, both he and Alexander Fox as Javert lent real gravitas to their performances; Florence Cain made a wonderfully vulnerable Fantine, and possesses the most sublime voice, to hear her I Dreamed A Dream was to be transported to another realm; Elisea Hooper’s troubled and heroic Eponine had real depths, and she and Mollie Dibb, as an enchanting Cosette, also sang beautifully; Tristan Barford as Marius and Nathan Woolley as Enjolras brought believability and commitment to their superb performances; and bringing in a tremendous dollop of comedy to their roles, Rachael McDonnell and Jon Luke Goodman as the Thenardiers proved themselves to be fine character actors, and while Rachael is a mesmerizingly brilliant singer, Jon Luke — perhaps not the most ‘natural’ singer — nevertheless delivered his lines with convincing comic force.

Darcey Francis as Little Cosette and Georgia Barratt as Little Eponine gave heartstring-tugging turns, leaving not a dry eye in house. Another ‘little un’ that wowed was Artie Dobson channeling the Artful Dodger through his scene-stealing Gavroche; and another young talented singer and actor to watch out for is William O’Halloran who played the Bishop.

Just before this production opened the news of the imminent closure of the ArtsHouse, a much treasured community space, broke. I can’t imagine a more poignant or timely production than this show. Look what a galvanized arts community can achieve. We must support local talent and the arts…

Can You Hear The People Sing? Yes we did, and it was blinding.