Tag Archives: Katy Secombe

RE-REVIEW: Les Misérables (Queens Theatre) – 2012

Les Mis

Let me start off by saying that, recently, I have reviewed Les Misérables TO DEATH! Ha!

This will be my last Miz for quite some time!

I’ve just come back from seeing Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre, London and have once again had a thoroughly amazing evening, made all the more poignant because this is the penultimate show that I’ll get to see before I depart the West End for a bit! (the final curtain call, will be The Phantom of the Opera on this – Tuesday – evening).

The casting team for this show are currently famed for their three-month contracts, which currently includes Phantom-extrordinare, and current West End ‘IT MAN!’,  Ramin Karimloo, as Jean Valjean (and who unfortunately does not play on a Monday or a Thursday evening); thus this review is unable to comment on the interesting though historically traditional transition that he’s made over to this other West End stalwart, nor comment on how well he takes on this monumental role.

However, Les Misérables is definitely not a one man show, and for me, I really value to get to see the understudy, as you tend to get someone without the gimmicks or biased pulling power, thus it makes it so much easier to review the performance, as you’ve got no preconceptions, and you tend to get blown away! :) Plus, in an era of such short contracts, it also affords some longevity to this review, in addition to hopefully reassuring that subset of people who oft tend to be a little hard-to-warm to the concept of seeing an understudy.

Incidentally, I also think that the character of Javert is definitely the more interesting of the two principal adult male roles, but that’s by the by, and for another day! :P

So, Monday 23rd January, and the overall performance was, as ever, FANTASTIC!

We had a rather large number of understudies on owing to Principal cast holiday/performance schedules, including Christopher Jacobsen as Jean Valjean, Zoe Doano as Cossette, and the (incredible) Shaun Dalton as Inspector Javert.

I’ll start with the good, and say that Shaun Dalton as Javert was perfect, in my opinion. It’s the one role that I look at closely in this musical, and I found Dalton to be note perfect, incredibly commanding on stage, and a real force to be reckoned with. My plumed 19th Century Inspectors hat comes off to him, and I’d love to see him in a more Principal role come the next cast change.

I was very pleased that Alexia Khadime was in tonight’s performance, as her Eponine is absolutely gorgeous, and always a pleasure to watch. I’ve also warmed a lot more to Craig Mather’s Marius, and Katy Secombe was fantastic as ever in the role of Mme Thénardier. It was my first time seeing Cameron Blakeley as Thénardier, and I thought he did a great job in the role, making it distinct from the great shaping that I felt Matt Lucas brought and added to the role immediately prior.

Christopher Jacobsen took a little while to grow on me as a plausible Valjean, and I was initially a little worried… certainly during the opening numbers, and right up until At The End Of The Day, I felt that his voice lacked the operatic depth that I’ve perhaps become spoilt and used to with previous Valjeans. Having today learnt that he is a meer 23 years old (@tobiased makes a good point in that Valjean is never this young at any point in the entire story); I feel that this explains a lot. However, the ‘older’ Valjean got, the more I found that I became comfortable with Jacobsen’s performance, with his voice becoming more resonant, and, ultimately, I think that you end up with a passable, though not authentic, Jean Valjean. Credit where due, some of the songs were sung with great emotional depth and absolutely pitch perfect.  I probably wouldn’t shy away from a Monday/Thursday performance to deliberately avoid his Valjean, were you not too fixed on definitely seeing Ramin Karimloo.

It was my first time seeing Liam Tamne in the role of Enjolras, and I have to say, as I’d expected, I wasn’t keen. On all my previous visits to the show over the last 9 months or so (and there have been quite a few!), I’ve always had Scott Garnham, and I do much prefer him in this role, if I am honest. Similarly, I still haven’t warmed to Caroline Sheen as Fantine, though, as ever, it is worth noting that the audience are usually receptive to her, and perhaps it’s just that she’s not right for my own vision of Fantine.

Overall, and it’s made harder to judge with so many understudies on this evening, I feel that the cast is fairly strong, though definitely not as strong as when it had its full June 2011 complement, and underwent the mini-re-invention.

Technically, the show was great, and I was very fortunate enough to have had a private tour of the stage a few months back, and so it was great to watch the production with more ‘technical’ eyes. The orchestra sounded brilliant, and the surround sound which was recently installed back in 2011 also did a great job during the first barricade battle scene – even when we were right at the back of the Dress Circle you felt in the thick of it! :)

As ALWAYS, I ended up having a bit of a blub at the end, it’s just such a fantastic show, story and score, and coupled with a great cast, and thus I had a really fab time.

Les Misérables is currently at the Queens Theatre, and running pretty much until forever! If you would like any more information on the show, please visit their official website!

REVIEW: Les Misérables – Queen’s Theatre, London (feat. Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas)

les-miserables

On Tuesday evening, I went down to the Queen’s Theatre to see Les Misérables, currently starring Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, and Matt Lucas as Thénardier.

Whilst I’ve ADORED this musical for many-a-year, I must also admit that it was thanks to seeing both in the O2 25th Anniversary concert that made me finally decide to plump and see the Queen’s production – especially having already seen the Barbican touring production, which, I was told by many, was far superior in comparison…!

However, I have to say that, on reflection, I found a lot of the memes kicked around by my fellow West End Wendies seemed to be rather exaggerated… nothing looked particularly tired or shabby, and whilst the revolve did get a little tiresome at times, and the Javert end scene really doesn’t work, I thought the staging remained inspired for its requirements, and it was particularly fun to see dead or maimed people constantly whizzing by you several times at substantial speeds hehe!!!

I should add that the production has recently taken a small three-day breather, just before cast change, to facilitate the introduction of a new state-of-the-art surround sound system, and also the building of a larger orchestra pit to facilitate the now larger orchestra, in turn needed to be able to play some of the newly introduced scoring, brought in from the 25th Anniversary production.

The musical is, of course, fantastic, and you may find my review of the Barbican (25th Anniversary touring) production more to your liking if you want more of a discussion of the show… this is going to be a significantly shorter post, touching on the current casting at the Queen’s (though I will say, fourth row back, centre stalls, whoop us!! Heh).

Alfie Boe’s Jean Valjean is, simply, second only to Colm Wilkinson’s… It is absolutely world-class in my opinion! His opera voice lends itself to the role magnificently, and boy oh boy can he act – I was reduced to tears by the end!!

Matt Lucas is absolutely my all time favourite Thénardier…. he brings SO much to the role… some of it delightfully subtle, other bits so overblown and absurd that you cannot help giggling manically. I don’t think there was a moment that I wasn’t smiling when he was present on stage heh. He and Katy Secombe (Madame Thénardier) make the perfect gruesome twosome! :D

Alexia Khadime makes for a great Eponine, but I did prefer her in Wicked, if I am honest. Of course, with such a vocal powerhouse, you don’t have to worry about On My Own, as you just know from the outset that this will be one of the songs that will absolutely knock it out of the park for you when it comes, and gosh, that it did!

I may get booed for saying it, but I was less of a fan of Caroline Sheen’s Fantine and her version of I Dreamed A Dream… but I DO rate her as a fabulous musical theatre star, nonetheless.

Despite having seen a number of people perform this song, I’ve yet to actually see/hear someone on stage who can match the undeniable vocal of Ruthie Henshall (see below, from 10th Anniversary concert) – as, for me, it needs a much older and world wizened lady in the role than the creative team ever seem to cast on stage these days…

Having just said that, and after seeing the 25th Anniversary Concert, I have to say, Lea Salonga actually nails this song COMPLETELY and reduces me to tears every time, proving that a more delicate/vulnerable and less jaded version of the song can work just as well!

Given the two extremes in interpretation, I find it a little strange that these are the only two versions of the song that I can say that I actually enjoy. Despite it being covered an infinite number of times - these are the only two to evoke any kind of emotion from me, and the only two versions where the actors really seem to be emotionally invested in the song.

Anyway, I digress! :P

I’d also like to call out Scott Garnham who makes an EXCELLENT Enjolras (he is the understudy for Liam Tamne) and don’t even get me started on Hadley Fraser’s Javert – which was super SUPER amazing, and, as always, produced goosebumps (I am perhaps a little biased, as this is, without doubt, my favourite role out of anything in musical theatre hehe).

All in all, an absolutely fantastic production; the current all-star (and phenomenally accomplished cast) make this summer a PERFECT time to go and see Les Misérables… I cannot imagine a workable ‘dream team’ that I would want to see more! :D

Les Mis is currently playing at the Queen’s Theatre, London and is running, well, forever…..!! (yaaaay).

Alfie Boe will play the role of ‘Jean Valjean’ until 26 November 2011 and Matt Lucas will play the role of ‘Thénardier’ until 10 September 2011.

The show is a bum-numbing three hours long and you may find yourself singing ‘One SONG More’ at the end of Act One, if you are anything like me hehe!! The toilet situation at the theatre is a little grim, expect to queue for a long time, and that’s just the men…!

Tickets for the show can be booked, and more information sought, via the production’s official website.