We have had our tickets booked for more that a year and our excitement at going to see Les Misérables on stage is palatable.
It plays the Bristol Hippodrome from Tuesday to Saturday, July 12-August 6.
Tickets from £13 plus transaction fee of £3.65 are available from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/les-miserables/bristol-hippodrome/ are selling really well so be quick.
We have watched numerous musical and drama versions from the 2012 film with Russell Crowe and cried when Oscar winning American actress Anne Hathaway died;
I watched the 2019 television drama and have even seen a French version without music but necessary subtitles.
Most memorable performance so far is Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thénardier with Sacha Baron Cohen as her wicked husband.
So we know the story pretty well and worry the stage show may fall short of high expectations.
However, Cameron Mackintosh's record breaking musical is attracting rave reviews on its current tour.
After 19 years as a prisoner, Jean Valjean is freed by Javert, the officer in charge of the prison workforce.
Valjean promptly breaks parole but later uses money from stolen silver to reinvent himself as a mayor and factory owner.
Javert vows to bring Valjean back to prison.
Eight years later, Valjean becomes the guardian of a child named Cosette after her mother's death, but Javert's relentless pursuit means that peace will be a long time coming.
The moral of the story is the law must be obeyed under all circumstance without any exception. Therefore criminals should not get away with crime they must be brought to justice.
In this version musical theatre star Rachelle Ann Go is Fantine.
Rachelle reprises her role having starred in the West End production of Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, Sondheim Theatre and in the Asian Tour.
She also starred as Eliza Hamilton in the original London company of Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre and won a What’s On stage award for her role as Gigi in Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End before reprising the role on Broadway and on film.
Internationally she has played Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Jane Porter in Tarzan, both at the Meralco Theatre, Philippines and won the Philippines reality television series, Search For A Star.
Rachelle Ann Go joins Dean Chisnall as Jean Valjean, Nic Greenshields as Javert, Ian Hughes as Thénardier, Will Callan as Marius, Nathania Ong as Eponine, Helen Walsh as Madame Thénardier, Samuel Wyn-Morris as Enjolras and Paige Blankson as Cosette.
The cast is completed by George Arvidson, Aidan Banyard, Will Barratt, Adam Boardman, Rebecca Bolton, Emily Olive Boyd, Olivia Brereton, Harry Chandler, Rebecca Ferrin, Aimee Good, Steven Hall, Jenna Innes, Tessa Kadler, Damian Kneale, Caleb Lagayan, Abel Law, Joseph.
McDonnell, Zabrina Norry, Emily Owens, Jordan Simon Pollard, Jamie
Pritchard, Dean Read, Rebecca Ridout and Rick Zwart.
Since Cameron Mackintosh first conceived this acclaimed new production in 2009, to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, it has taken the world by storm.
Boublil and Schönberg’s magnificent iconic score 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.
Several of its songs have become real life anthems of revolution wherever in the world people are fighting for their freedom.
Seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 52 countries and in 22 languages, Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular and contemporary musicals.
Cameron Mackintosh’s production 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, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.
Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker with original orchestrations by John Cameron.
The production is directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, projections realised by Finn Ross and Fifty Nine Productions, musical staging by Geoffrey Garratt, and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Graham Hurman.

Carol Deacon

Jo Parsons person of Nailsea interest
Resident director of Les Misérables Jo Parson is a former Nailsea School student, sports fan and West End star.
He last featured on Nailsea People when appearing at the Redgrave Theatre with The Other Guys the group which also headlined in 2019 Nailsea & Tickenham Football Club annual Frythival.
You can read previous article here https://www.nailseapeople.com/the-other-guys.
Jo was also resident director and for a time played lemur King Julien in the stage show Madgascar.
Born in Plymouth and an avid supporter of Plymouth Argyle FC, Jo trained at Guildford School of Acting.
He did play French revoluntionary student Grantaire known for his skepticism and drunkenness in Les Mis and on a German tour he appeared as a peasant named Dennis Galahad in Monty Python's Spamalot.
Jo is also founder of his own theatre company, The Other Guys Entertainment Ltd.
The Other Guys will be appearing at Frythival which returns this year on Saturday, May 28 - more details on our What's On page.
Parents Lynne and Jon Parsons, brother and sister-in-law Alex and Blaise Parsons and their children Oscar and Nina plus his number one fan grandma Beryl Shapter all still live in Nailsea.
Jo who also attended Golden Valley Primary School once sang and danced with Nailsea Musicals and played for Nailsea United Football Club although brother Al is a stalwart of Nailsea & Tickenham.