Hit show Les Misérables in Bristol until August 7 (From Gazette Series)

Hit show Les Misérables in Bristol until August 7

10:54am Friday 16th July 2010 in

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25th anniversary production of Les Misérables

Review

LES Misérables celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and judging by the audience reaction at the opening of the production in the Bristol Hippodrome this week it has lost none of its sparkle. Cheers were shouted, hands tingled from clapping so much and tears rolled down faces as crowds enjoyed West End’s longest running show.

This show has everything; a fantastic story line, brilliant songs and an outstanding cast.

Although there were no real weak performances to speak of there was one stand out cast member who could not fail to make the hairs on your arms stand on end. That was Welsh born John Owen-Jones who played Jean Valjean a former convict who after 19 years of hard labour gets out and lives a good and honest life.

The audience follows his journey through the years as he saves a young child whose mother dies, fights in the Revolution and slowly ages until his death, which brought on many tears in the audience.

His vocal range was exceptional, moving from gentle soft tones smoothly into a deep and powerful voice with ease.

The role of Epinine, the poor daughter of the Thenardiers (a couple of low-life thieves) who falls in love with the bashful student Marius, was played by the soulful voiced Rosalind James, who brought a different feel to the classic song ‘On my Own’.

Former Pop Idol runner up and recording artist Gareth Gates played the role of Marius well and performed the atmospheric song ‘Empty Chair, Empty Tables’ with passion.

Lastly the thieving Thenardiers, Lynne Wilmot who played the buxom wife and Ashley Artus her cheeky husband, offered wonderful light relief to the heavy story line. They played their comical roles to perfection winning loud laughs from the audience.

Fantastic sets, including new moving visual backgrounds, topped off this outstanding show which will no doubt be pleasing audiences again and again for many years to come.

Les Miserables is on at the Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday, August 7. For tickets visit www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk or call ticketmaster on 0844 8472325