les miserables

Location: The Queen’s Theatre

What better way is there to enjoy the West End of London than a trip to see the world famous Les Misérables, currently in its 23rd year at the Queen’s Theatre in London? Its long run makes it the longest running musical ever, surpassing even the world famous Cats. It truly is a memorable musical of a romance set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Such is the show’s popularity that it has also been seen around the world in over forty different countries and translated into more then twenty different languages.

On its 23rd birthday it was hailed for its popularity and longevity with its star Drew Sarich appearing onstage to make a memorable speech marking the occasion. As a result of its long stay it could boast being the longest running musical in all of London, having finally beating out Cats which had completed its run years earlier.

Since it opened it has been housed in various venues, including both the Barbican Theatre (1985) and Palace Theatre (1985-2004) before moving to its current home in the form of the Queen’s Theatre (2004-).

It’s no wonder that the show has found success, with a story that inspires generations of people and is familiar to almost everyone. When the show opens we are taken back to a time of change in France as the revolution holds its grip, paving way for a new form of government in replace of its former monarchy. Les Misérables concerns 19th century characters and how their lives progress over a period of two decades. We are introduced to the character of Jean Valjean – a former convict who arrives back in town with the hope of redeeming himself for his old wrongs. We look at his actions and the reasons behind them as Les Misérables looks at the society of the time and casts a message concerning the 19th century setting. But this is a musical, so along the way we are treated to some well known songs, including ‘On My Own’, ‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ and ‘One Day More’ amongst others. So take a trip through history to the time of Napoleon with Les Misérables and witness a story that has been told with many big names over the years, including Alun Armstrong, Michael Ball, Tracie Bennett and Colm Wilkinson.
So make sure you get tickets for Les Misérables and be part of a monumental West End show!