Les Miserables - July 08

The early seeds of an idea to stage Les Misérables School Edition were first sewn two years ago by directors Kevin Gauntlett and John Hargreaves when they decided to 'take on something big', but little did they know what a mammoth project it was to become. Stalwarts of the West Wickham Operatic Society, they took the unusual step of producing a show in which none of their adult members could star. This special adaptation has to be performed strictly by school students, leaving the not inconsiderable task of staging it up to the society and the schools involved.

With two different casts, both boasting around seventy children, to perform on alternate nights, staging this colossal challenge was never going to be easy. In rehearsal for almost a year, the initial intention was to perform at Bromley's Churchill Theatre. However, disaster struck when Cameron Mackintosh and Weinbergers refused to allow a license for this specially adapted version of the hit musical to be produced inside a 'professional' venue. Undaunted, WWOS, with the help of the three schools concerned, decided to build 'The Courtyard Theatre' in the grounds of Langley Park School for Girls (the other two schools being Langley Park School for Boys and Ravens Wood School). A gigantic marquee was erected next to the sports hall designed to house six hundred theatregoers and a huge stage capable of showing to full advantage the splendour of this popular dramatic musical.

Les Misérables began life as a classic French novel by Victor Hugo, it spans the life of Jean Valjean who lived at a time when grinding, unimaginable poverty was common for most French citizens while the few idle rich lived in the highest luxury. Any rebellion against the system by the poor was brutally crushed by the state.

The musical version came into existence when Cameron Mackintosh together with its creators Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer staged it at the Barbican theatre in 1985; it was a terrific success and it has never been off the stage since with productions in cities across the world.

The ingredients that go into making the show such a hit is, of course, the music - full of drama and pathos, a perfect combination of heart-wrenching ballads, strong choral themes and fall-off-your-seat comedy. The music has had audiences humming to themselves long after they have left the theatre which is always a great tell-tale sign.

Most of Gauntlett and Hargreaves’ cast were drawn from Year-11 students and they threw themselves into the production with all the energy and effervescence in a way that only young people can. The atmosphere inside Bromley's 'newest' theatre was humming with pride and goodwill and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as an audience member.

During the interval I was astonished to learn that the orchestra was also formed entirely from the three schools’ students. I had assumed they were hired professionals; the music was so beautifully played. It was a great shame they were hidden behind a screen as I am sure others in the audience - if they didn’t consult their comprehensive programme thoroughly - must have believed the same.

The almost saint-like Jean Valjean is the main focus of the piece as we follow his eventful life story from his time on the chain-gang (his only crime was stealing some bread) …to his resurrection as a respected town mayor and subsequent flight from Javert (the fastidious Chief of Police intent on re-arresting him) together with his adopted daughter Cosette …through to his involvement in a disastrous revolution and his eventually finding peace as a tired old man, reunited with his family, looking to heaven.

On the opening night, Tom Williams was most impressive in this very difficult and demanding role. He put his heart and soul into his performance and we instantly bonded with his character. During his final song there was not a dry eye in the house. An extremely powerful performance for one so young.

Jean Valjean's nemesis, Javert, is another complicated character to achieve; he is someone whose faith in the strength of law and order is steadfast which leads him to doggedly pursue our hero across the years, but his faith is placed in that which is ultimately corrupt and inhumane. Javert cannot bring himself to recognise this fact and when Valjean saves his life (and in so doing inadvertently tears apart all the reason and surety that Javert lives by) he is so devastated that he commits suicide. The song 'Stars' is reprised just before he jumps from a bridge. It's heartbreaking; Javert suddenly becomes human as we witness a man in turmoil.

Played with aplomb by Ben Stephen, his imposing presence dominated the stage. His rich voice carrying all the smugness and stony heartedness of the character in a truly self-assured performance.

One of the most famous characters of Les Misérables is Fantine, the girl whose life goes horribly wrong when she is fired from her job at Valjean's factory for having a secret illegitimate child. Destitute and driven into prostitution, she becomes fatally ill. However, hope shines on her on her death-bed when Valjean, guilt-ridden and appalled at her situation, vows to adopt her lost daughter. Every girl who has ever sung alone into their hairbrush or into a karaoke microphone will know Fantine and her famous torch song, 'I dreamed a dream'. And it must be the dream of every one of those girls to play the role. It came true for Amy Gulivan who took it on with delight, belting her way through the ballads and touching our hearts as she sang Fantine's lullaby to her daughter Cosette.

As time passes we see Cosette grow into a young woman. She falls in love (at first sight) with Marius, a student who is fated to become one of the leaders of the people's disastrous revolution. A love triangle is forms between these two and Eponine, a feisty and streetwise child of the gutter, whose love for Marius goes unreciprocated. Eponine is a fantastic role to play and Amy Hunter obviously enjoyed every minute of it. As those ‘hairbrush’ girls will, once again know, Eponine sings 'On My Own', an anthem for all whose love is unrequited, which Hunter sang beautifully.

Amy Bennett and Jared Fortune as the lovers were very well matched. Bennett had an impossibly high and sweet voice which suited the role of Cosette perfectly. This can sometimes be a bit of an unforgiving role as Cosette is written as a saint-like and rather one-dimensional character with none of the complexities the others thrive on. Bennett succeeded though in creating a person we could believe in and feel for, all credit to her.

Jared Fortune, relished playing Marius (the role that shot Michael Ball to fame). With a voice similar to that of Ewan McGregor, he was perfectly cast as the charismatic and idealistic young student, learning the hard way about the roughness of life but ultimately coming out on top, married to the beautiful Cosette.

Full acting honours, though, must go to Rebecca Broadhurst and Justin Jones as the truly evil but very funny Innkeepers, Thénadier and Madame Thénadier. This odd couple appear throughout the musical, stealing and swindling their way through life; they are real opportunists, becoming whatever they need to be in order to survive. Broadhurst and Jones were never out of character and their technical skills were astonishing for two so young. They wouldn't have looked out of place in the real West End production. Their energy and bravery was riveting to watch.

What also made this production so splendid and an absolute treat was the work of the chorus and minor characters. They were never anything less than brilliant and the sound they produced gave me goose bumps every time they sang. It was clearly obvious that so much work had been put in to the big cast scenes and it really paid off. They were terrific. The rousing ensemble number 'One Day More' was reprised at the end to rapturous applause and an immediate and well-deserved standing ovation. Well done to those countless people involved in producing this fabulous show; and of course to the directors whose hard work, talent and skill shone right through to the end. Encore!

Jane Lobb