Les Misérables

The musical masterpiece that is Les Misérables has finally been immortalised on film in an equally staggering portrayal directed by Oscar nominated Tom Hooper. In the words of prison guard Javert, prisoner 24601’s time is up and his parole has begun. Cue 150 minutes of turmoil, battles for survival, love, sacrifice, some stellar renditions of the musical’s well-known classics, and just wishing you knew the reason why Gavroche, a Parisian boy, has a notably cockney accent.

The story, based on Victor Hugo’s hefty novel of the same name, primarily follows ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) as he sets out to be the best possible version of himself. In the meantime, Javert (Russell Crowe) is on a relentless man hunt because, by going on the run, Valjean has broken the rules of his parole. Despite becoming Mayor of Montreuil, the former prison mate does not ignore the needy and unfortunate; from the moment he promises a desperate mother called Fantine (Anne Hathaway) that he will look after her child, the rest of his life is dramatically changed. The second half of the film also involves a tumultuous student uprising in Paris, and one of the most exhilarating finales I’ve ever experienced outside of a live theatre show.

Jackman was even better than I anticipated; his storytelling through song was second to none. His fellow Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway was also extraordinary and her Fantine will break the hearts of any who are exposed to her rendition of the iconic, I Dreamed a Dream. As for Russell Crowe…at least when the film comes out on DVD we have the luxury of volume control. Having said that, he did have moments where the singing ability took a backseat and I was just too impressed with his acting performance to care which notes he was attempting to hit. Put it this way, I doubt you’ll find his vocals anywhere near as bad as Monsieur Brosnan’s in the Mamma Mia movie.

It was fantastic to see cameos from original Les Mis legends such as Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role of Jean Valjean on stage in London back in the 80s. Speaking of ‘back in the day’, Hooper’s decision to have the cast sing live for every take, rather than dubbing their pre-recorded voices over the top, has not been used in film since around the 1930s and it really worked in this movie’s favour. The spontaneity of the acting choices made whilst singing live produced more raw and honest performances, just like those we come to expect in a professional stage production, especially when Eddie Redmayne sang ‘Empty Chairs At Empty Tables’ and whenever Hugh Jackman opened his mouth. This approach also benefited the comedic timing of the disgustingly bizarre yet uproarious Thénardiers (Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen).

I will undoubtedly be making another trip to see this master class in performing and film making. Les Misérables is a must see, for both life long fans of the musical and those who are new to this timeless story.

Response to David Sexton

David Sexton: How can anyone who loves music enjoy musicals? 

Original article-  http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/david-sexton-how-can-anyone-who-loves-music-enjoy-musicals-8445520.html

Sexton’s article header is clearly a rhetorical question, but as a fan of musical theatre, otherwise referred to ever so eloquently by Sexton as a “poor sap”, I am obviously too intellectually inferior to understand this and have therefore written him an answer.

While the majority of us who write about theatre aim to give fair and balanced opinions, Sexton feels that he and his army of musical theatre haters have been under represented, and so he has written a rather baseless and misinformed article formulated around the argument that acting, singing, and God forbid, dancing all at the same time is “embarrassing and stupid.” Those who dare to appreciate the years of hard work and dedication that go into a musical can only be described as “freaks”, so Sexton says.

I find watching a musical an immersive and exciting experience. The standard of performance on professional stages can be breathtaking, and only comes from genuine talent that has been shaped by years of training. Bearing in mind these performers are on stage almost every night and are expected to deliver the same standard each time, I would consider them just as impressive if not more so than the recording artists of today who are hardly ever required to do this. Singing and dancing at the same time may “repel” the likes of Sexton, but the stamina required is at a level a lot of us spend our lives trying to reach and never do. Of course there are those who don’t enjoy musicals, and they are quite within their rights to dislike it, but what is unprofessional and unnecessary is to insult those who are equally within their rights to enjoy this harmless form of entertainment.

Where Sexton reveals his lack of thorough knowledge of the performance industry is when he writes that the big musicals, claiming Les Misérables to be the notable offender, have “wallowingly melodramatic plots”, and later writes that anyone over the age of five with any taste cannot possibly enjoy the contributions of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Many will know that the plot of Les Misérables is based on a classic novel written by Victor Hugo, and so Sexton’s criticism actually relates back to the original literature rather than the musical adaptation by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. In fact, a considerable number of the musicals that are currently doing well in both the West End and on Broadway are based on literature (Wicked, Matilda), or film (The Lion King), or a true story (Jersey Boys), so Sexton is in fact degrading a whole host of different and, I think it would be fair to say, hugely popular art forms. He may find musical theatre “idiotic”, but a bit of background research into the subject before making a comment wouldn’t go amiss.

As for ALW’s contribution to the industry, let us use Phantom of the Opera (another musical based on previously written literature­) as the example. This musical has been running in the West End now for over 25 years… not bad considering it is apparently only the toddlers and the tasteless who are going to see it. For a show to last that long, each performance needs to be almost if not completely sold out in order to raise enough money to keep it running. I would be interested to hear Sexton’s reasoning for why people would be filling the theatres and spending their hard earned cash on shows such as this if they don’t actually enjoy them.

Sexton claims he would rather endure root canal treatment than sit through a musical, in which case I welcome him to all the dentistry operations he can imagine and suggest he write articles on them instead, rather than brandishing his ignorance of musical theatre and mindlessly attacking a highly successful and appreciated part of our culture.

Loserville Review- Garrick Theatre

'Pinch me, is this real?’ Song writer James Bourne, along with writer/composer Elliot Davis, have turned Son of Dork’s debut album, Welcome to Loserville, into a fun, geeky, and electric new musical. Set in the 70s, Loserville celebrates the high school underdog, the teenagers who have all the weird and wonderful ideas but are mocked and shunned by the other kids. Michael Dork, (Aaron Sidwell) along with his best friends and potential first ever girlfriend, Holly (Eliza Hope Bennett), set out to change their status with a revolutionary idea- electronic communication.

It would be unfair to merely disregard this musical as a new manifestation of the T.V. show Glee. Yes it shares similar themes, but where Glee tends to, on occasion, shoe-horn relevant tunes into the story, Son of Dork’s music is seamlessly woven with a clever and refreshing script, showcasing the anecdotal quality of the tunes and encouraging the fluidity of the production overall. The show isn’t perfect, but it does not deserve to have its run in the West End cut short.

The choreography was executed with euphoria-inducing energy and the props were simple but playfully utilised by a well-rounded cast. Strong but seemingly effortless performances were given by all, and their vibrancy was reflected in the colourful lighting design we were treated to throughout the show.

What was encouraging to see was the sea of fresh new faces amongst the actors. As well as all of its other delights, Loserville afforded new names the opportunity to have their time in the spotlight. If the future of theatre lies in the hands of this talented group, then colour me satisfied.