Les Misérables
Barbican Theatre & Palace Theatre, RSC
A Musical by Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg
Based on the novel by Victor Hugo
Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Original Text by Alain Boublil & Jean-Marc Natel
Additional Material by James Fenton
This was a Royal Shakespeare Company presentation of an RSC Cameron Mackintosh production. The world première performance was at the Barbican Theatre on 28th September 1985 and it opened to the press on 8th October.
The production then transferred to the Palace Theatre in the West End where it opened on the 4th December 1985.
The first US production opened in Washington DC a year later on 27th December 1987 before opening in New York at the Broadway Theatre on 12th March 1987.
Productions in Japan and Australia soon followed as well as a series of US and Canadian touring productions. Within a few years, it was running in numerous productions all over the world in many different languages.
The London production of Les Misérables later transferred from the Palace Theatre to the Queen’s Theatre, where it is still running.
Producers and Artistic Directors wishing to make their own productions of Les Misérables can make enquiries about licensing by clicking here.
Olivier Awards 1985
Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actress in a Musical – Patti Lupone for the role of Fantine.
Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical – Alun Armstrong for the role of M. Thénardier (Nomination)
Colm Wilkinson for the role of Jean Valjean (Nomination)
Musicial of the Year - Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. (Nomination)
Creative team
| Adapted and Directed by | Trevor Nunn and John Caird |
| Designer | John Napier |
| Lighting | David Hersey |
| Costumes | Andreane Neofitou |
| Musical Supervision and Orchestrations | John Cameron |
| Musical Direction | Martin Koch |
| Company Fight Work | Malcolm Ransom |
| Musical Staging | Kate Flatt |
| Sound | Andrew Bruce |
| Assistant Director | Dion McHugh |
| Design Assistant | Benjamin Hilliard |
| Lighting Assistants | Jozef Celder & Adam Grater |
| Stage Manager | Trevor Williamson |
| Deputy Stage Manager | Philip McDonald & Michael Stanislaw |
| Assistant Stage Managers | Rosy Fowler |
| Literal Translation from the French | Siobhan Bracke |
Cast
| Jean Valjean | Colm Wilkinson |
| Javert | Roger Allam |
| Chain Gang | Dave Willets, Paul Leonard, Clive Carter, Christopher Beck, Gary Huddlestone, Alun Armstrong, Michael Ball, Keith Burns & David Burt. |
| Farmer | Craig Pinder |
| Labourer | Keith Burns |
| Innkeeper | Peter Polycarpou |
| Innkeeper’s Wife | Jill Martin |
| Bishop of Digne | Ken Caswell |
| Constables | Ian Calvin & Colin Marsh |
| Fantine | Patti Lupone |
| Foreman | Paul Leonard |
| Workers | Christopher Beck, Craig Pinder |
| Women Workers | Sally Mates, Beverley Klein, Caroline Quentin, Aline Mowat |
| Factory Girl | Jackie Marks |
| Sailors | Christopher Beck, Gary Huddlestone, Dave Willets |
| Whores | Jill Martin, Jackie Marks, Caroline Quentin, Aline Mowat, Liza Hayden, Rebecca Caine, Frances Ruffelle, Sian Rivers |
| Old Woman | Sally Mates |
| Crone | Beverley Klein |
| Pimp | Colin Marsh |
| Bamatabois | Clive Carter |
| Fauchelevent | Ian Calvin |
| Little Cosette | Zoë Hart, Jayne O’Mahoney, Joanne Woodcock |
| Madame Thénardier | Sue Jane Tanner |
| Thénardier | Alun Armstrong |
| Little Eponine | Danielle Akers, Gillian Brander, Juliette Caton |
| Drinker | Craig Pinder |
| Young Couple | Keith Burns, Liza Hayden |
| Drunk | Peter Polycarpou |
| Diners | Ken Caswell, Caroline Quentin |
| Other Drinkers | Colin Marsh, Clive Carter, Dave Willets, Aline Mowat, Jill Martin |
| Young Man | Gary Huddlestone |
| Young Girls | Jackie Marks, Sian Rivers |
| Old Couple | Beverley Klein, Christopher Beck |
| Travellers | Paul Leonard, Ian Calvin |
| Gavroche | Liza Hayden, Oliver Spencer, Ian Tucker |
| Old Beggar Woman | Jill Martin |
| Young Prostitute | Jackie Marks |
| Pimp | Peter Polycarpou |
| Unemployed Man | Ken Caswell |
| Blind Beggar | Caroline Quentin |
| Woman with Baby | Beverley Klein |
| Students | Paul Leonard, Gary Huddlestone |
| Eponine | Frances Ruffelle |
| Montparnasse | Keith Burns |
| Babet | Ian Calvin |
| Brujon | Dave Willets |
| Claquesous | Colin Marsh |
| Marius | Michael Ball |
| Cosette | Rebecca Caine |
| Combeferre | Paul Leonard |
| Feuilly | Gary Huddlestone |
| Courfeyrac | Craig Pinder |
| Enjolras | David Burt |
| Joly | Christopher Beck |
| Grantaire | Clive Carter |
| Lesgles | Ken Caswell |
| Jean Prouvaire | Peter Polycarpou |
Band
| Keyboards | Andy Read |
| Flute/Piccolo | Christopher Lacey |
| Clarinet/Alto Saxophone | Victor Slaymark |
| Oboe/Cor Anglais | Caroline Marwood |
| Horns | Brian Newman & Duncan Hollowood |
| Trumpets | Roderick Tearle & Peter Wright |
| Trombone | David Hissey |
| Synthesiser/Piano | Peter Washtell |
| Percussion | Tony McVey |
| Drums | Peter Boita |
| Guitar | Ian Laws |
| Bass Guitar | Brent Forbes |
| Violin (Leader) | Laurie Lewis |
| Violins | Norman Lederman, Richard Bureau & Vaughn Armon |
| Cellos | Peter Halling, Paul Kegg |
Management and Administration
| Producer | Cameron Mackintosh |
| Company Manager | Robert M. West |
| Stage Manager | Sheena Linden |
| Deputy Stage Manager | Stephen Higgins |
| Assistant Stage Managers | Jason Bevan, Rosy Fowler & Isabel Pric |
| Assistant Director | Ken Caswell |
| Sound Operator | Madeleine Parisio |
Understudies
| Marius | Keith Burns |
| Javert | Clive Carter |
| Thénardier | Ken Caswell |
| Enjolras | Paul Leonard |
| Eponine | Jackie Marks |
| Madame Thénardier | Sally Mates |
| Fantine | Aline Mowat |
| Cosette | Sian Reeves |
| Jean Valjean | Dave Willets |
| Standbys | Aidan Cook & Holly Russell |