The acclaimed new production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical Les Miserables, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, will premiere in Melbourne in 2014.
The new production of Les Miserables has been praised by critics, fans and new audiences for the last three years, breaking box office records internationally and inspiring filmmakers to make the outstandingly successful movie which has gone on to win 3 Oscar’s, 3 Golden Globes and 4 BAFTA’s.
Following an extensive search to find Australia’s brightest stars, Cameron Mackintosh is thrilled to reveal the talented cast for next year’s highly-anticipated return of Les Miserables.
“Twenty-five years ago I set out to find Australia’s stars of the future for my first Australian production of Les Miserables,” said Cameron Mackintosh.
“It launched the careers of some of Australia’s biggest stars, like Marina Prior and Anthony Warlow, and I’m thrilled today to announce an amazing cast of performers that I’m hoping will also become household names in the future.”
Playing the iconic role of Jean Valjean is established actor and musical theatre star Simon Gleeson. Simon has worked extensively in theatre, film and television in Australia and the UK, including performing in London’s prestigious West End.
Simon has been nominated for two Helpmann Awards for Mamma Mia! and Love Never Dies, a Sydney Theatre Award for Love Never Dies and most recently a Green Room Award for Chess.
“I’m so thrilled to be playing Valjean in the new Australian production of Les Miserables,” said Simon Gleeson.
“With arguably the most breathtaking score in musical theatre history, Les Miserables transformed musical theatre when it first opened. The show remains iconic and relevant today because it deals with themes of love, courage, the human spirit and the difficult choices we make which define who we are and what we stand for.”
NIDA-trained Hayden Tee will play Valjean’s lifelong antagonist Javert. Hayden has appeared in many musical theatre and opera productions around the world, including Being Earnest, My Fair Lady and in 2005 he played Marius in the 20th anniversary West End production of Les Miserables.
Starring as Fantine is Patrice Tipoki. Known to Australian audiences from lead roles in The Lion King and Wicked, Patrice has been preparing for the role of Fantine since she was a little girl.
Hailing from a musical family, she first saw Les Miserables in Brisbane at the age of 6 and ever since would perform songs from the show for anyone who would listen.
Playing Madame Thénardier is Lara Mulcahy. Lara has appeared in countless stage, TV and film productions including three Baz Luhrmann films, Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.
Lara won a Green Room Award for her performance in Mamma Mia! Joining Lara in the role of the villainous Monsieur Thénardier is Australian theatre and cabaret favourite, Trevor Ashley. Co-writer and star of the recent stage hit, Little Orphan Trashley, Trevor has appeared in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical, Hairspray: The Musical and Jerry Springer: The Opera.
Making her professional debut, WAAPA 2012 graduate Kerrie Anne Greenland will play Eponine with fellow graduate Emily Langridge cast in the beloved role of Cosette. Emily was recently seen in The Production Company’s Gypsy.
Chris Durling is excited to be playing Enjolras, the passionate student leader of the revolution, in Melbourne next year. Chris has recently performed in the Australian and New Zealand productions of Jersey Boys, Grease, as well as a member of the popular children’s group The Crocmen with Bindi Irwin.
Playing the love struck revolutionary Marius is Helpmann Award nominated performer Euan Doidge. Euan has appeared in recent productions of Legally Blonde, A Chorus Line and Grease.
Twenty-four of Australia’s finest talents join the Les Miserables ensemble, with the child roles of Little Cosette, Young Eponine, and Gavroche to be cast in early 2014.
To coincide with the production’s premiere in Melbourne next year, the State Library of Victoria also announced today that they will be hosting a world-first exhibition, Victor Hugo: Les Miserables from Page to Stage.
This ambitious international exhibition follows the evolution of Les Miserables from one of the world’s greatest literary masterpieces into the most successful and beloved stage musical of all time.
The exhibition will include original Les Miserables scripts, scores, costumes, set designs, posters, photographs and films that will take visitors backstage and into the heart of this musical phenomenon.
It reveals the Paris of Hugo’s time and explores the events that shaped his most successful work and will display rarely seen sketches by Hugo that have inspired the design of this 25th Anniversary Production. This exhibition is a must see for all Les Mis fans and runs from 18 July until 9 November 2014.
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century revolutionary France, Les Miserables is the world’s longest running musical and has been seen by over 65 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 22 languages, and is undisputedly one of the most popular musicals of all time.
Having won more than 100 major awards around the world it has been hailed as the most stirring, moving musical ever. Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, it is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit.
The magnificent score of Les Miserables includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Stars”, “Bring Him Home”, “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, “One Day More”, “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, “Master of the House” and many more.
Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Miserables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel.
Adapted by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, it has additional material by James Fenton. The 25th Anniversary Production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley.
Original costumes are by Andreane Neofitou, additional costumes by Christine Rowland, lighting design by Paule Constable and sound design by Mick Potter. Executive Producer of the Australian production is Michael Cassel.
The Australian premiere of Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production, Les Miserables, arrives at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne from June 2014.
Previews commence in June and opening night will be held on 3 July 2014. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday 17 October through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au/lesmis
Image: the Australian Cast of Les Miserables at the recent Launch – photo by Rohan Shearn
