Les Misérables 23/24 West End Company in performance. Photo by Deen Van Meer
Planning a trip to London’s West End to see the classic musical Les Misérables?
Here’s everything you need to know about ‘Les Mis’ before you book.
Everything you need to know about Les Misérables
What is Les Misérables about?
Oh, where to start? A lot happens in Les Misérables which is based on Victor Hugo’s epic historical novel of the same name, published in 1862. The mammoth 1,462-page book was adapted by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, originally in French where it played at Palais des Sports in Paris in 1980 before an English language version opened in 1985.
The musical follows the story of Jean Valjean following his release after 19 years of hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread. After breaking his parole, he is pursued for years by the detective, Javert, despite finding redemption and adopting the young Cosette.
Though many people think the play is set during the French Revolution, it’s actually the earlier June Rebellion that acts as a backdrop to the story, and we see the rebellion grow as the story progresses.
Where is Les Misérables playing?
Les Misérables plays at the Sondheim Theatre, known as Queen’s Theatre until it was renamed in December 2019. The theatre is right in the heart of the West End on Shaftesbury Avenue.
How long is Les Misérables?
Les Misérables is 2 hours and 50 minutes, including a 15-minute interval.
Who stars in Les Misérables?
The current West End cast of Les Misérables includes Milan van Waardenburg as Jean Valjean, Stewart Clarke as Javert, Will Callan as Marius and Lulu-Mae Pears as Cosette. An arena touring cast includes Alfie Boe and Killian Donnelly, who share the role of Jean Valjean, Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden, who share the role of Javert, Bonnie Langford as Madame Thénardier, Gavin Lee as Thénardier, Jac Yarrow as Marius, Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette.
What days does Les Misérables play?
Les Misérables plays six nights a week from Monday to Saturday with matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Performances days often change around bank holidays and the festive seasons, so always check the show’s booking page for the latest updates.
Will I know any of the songs in Les Misérables?
Arguably Les Misérables has entered the public consciousness in a way that no other musical has. It’s been seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 22 languages and a 2012 film adaptation featured a starry cast of Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. This means that you probably will know many of its songs whether that’s “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Bring Him Home”, “One Day More” or “Master Of The House.”
How long has Les Misérables been playing?
Les Misérables opened at the Barbican Centre, the London home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, on 8 October 1985 and has been running continuously in London ever since, transferring first to the Palace Theatre (the current home of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) in December 1985 and then to the Queen’s Theatre in April 2004. A concert version ran at the Gielgud Theatre between August and December 2019 while the Queen’s Theatre was refurbished. The musical returned to the Queen’s Theatre under its new title of the Sondheim Theatre in January 2020.
There was some controversy over whether the version that reopened in January 2020 should be considered part of the same run that began in October 1985 given the change to its staging and producers describing it as a new production. However, it is still recognised as the longest-running West End musical with The Mousetrap, which opened in 1952, holding the record for the overall longest-running show.
Like all West End shows, performances of Les Misérables were forced to stop during the COVID pandemic with the show closing in March 2020 and reopening in September 2021. However, the concert version of the show played for a limited run between 20 May and 5 September 2021 ahead of the full version returning.
What did critics think of Les Misérables?
They really didn’t like it when it first opened in the West End in 1985, with one critic for the Sunday Telegraph going as far as calling it ‘lurid’ – ouch. Even if critics weren’t blown away by it, the public was – which is why it has lasted almost forty years in the West End.