It's been a few days since I went to see the current Les Misérables London cast at the Sondheim Theatre, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about Djavan Van De Fliert's Enjolras and Tom Hext's Grantaire. Here is an overview of their portrayals:
Grantaire isn't overly present during Paris/Look Down, as usual, but he can be seen at the back of the stage reading a leaflet that Enjolras and Marius drop on the street - and he watches as Enjolras runs off of the stage.
During ABC Café/Red & Black, Grantaire is separate to the rest of Les Amis. He sit with his drink in his hand, watching as his fellow students listen to Enjolras speak. Tom Hext portrayed Grantaire as drunker than most other Grantaires I've seen on stage: he had slurred speech and really did stumble around the Musain.
As Marius comes on the stage, Grantaire's focus is entirely on Enjolras' reaction and you can see the cogs start to get to work in his brain; he thinks deeply about how he can gain Enjolras' attention. As he does, Djavan's Enjolras looks so defeated and frustrated, but there's a softness in the way he directs Grantaire back onto their cause. Initially, Grantaire laughs off Enjolras' words and continues joking around, desperately looking to see if Enjolras was watching him.
When he realises he isn't, he walks right up to Enjolras (who had returned to his table) and grabs his face, turning him to look at him with a laugh. He only starts to be serious when Enjolras raises his eyebrows and silently pleads for him to stop.
After Gavroche announces that Lamarque is dead, Grantaire's whole body drops. As everyone else rallies around Enjolras, he grabs Gavroche and moves to the side of the group, watching in horror as the realisation sinks in that this was really happening. Enjolras notices that Grantaire is standing away from everyone else, cradling Gavroche, and stands by him during Do You Hear the People Sing? Grantaire offers him a smile in response, and Enjolras smiles back, believing he's won Grantaire round.
BUT the moment Enjolras looks away, Grantaire's smile drops again. And he looks on the verge of tears as he joins in with the marching.
During One Day More, Enjolras looks back to Grantaire and Gavroche and offers them a nod, which they both reciprocate.
When the barricade is built, Grantaire stumbles around the stage following Enjolras and making sure Gavroche is safe. When Éponine is shot, he runs onto the stage with the rest of the students and stands in utter disbelief, cradling Gavroche and staring at Enjolras with the saddest expression on his face. Enjolras walks in from being with Javert wiping his hands of the Inspector's blood. Grantaire looks at him with such a bland look on his face. After Éponine dies in Marius' arms, you can really see that Grantaire has accepted this is going to be their fate. Enjolras tries to reach out for him, grabbing at his arm to try and explain and console him, but Grantaire pulls away from him and leads Gavroche away.
In Drink With Me, he's physically shaking. The moment Grantaire starts to sing, Enjolras turns around and walks towards him with the most solemn look on his face. He pulls him into an embrace but Grantaire pulls out of it and walks towards Gavroche, who hugs him this time. He sinks down onto the floor and looks so heartbroken.
Because Grantaire does believe in Enjolras, but he's cynical. And he knows how this is going to end. And he's trying desperately to be there for Gavroche and make sure he's safe.
When Gavroche is killed, he breaks down completely and Enjolras tries to comfort him but Grantaire shakes him away. It's a really haunting scene. During their final battle, Grantaire doesn't pick up a weapon once. He watches from the sidelines, and offers Enjolras a small nod when Enjolras smiles at him from the top of the barricade.
And when Enjolras is shot dead, falling off of the barricade, Grantaire races to the top to be with him, screaming the most blood-curdling "you bastards!" I've ever heard. He dies running to the man he loves because, although he doesn't believe in the cause, he believes in Enjolras.
During Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Grantaire and Enjolras are stood side by side - which has been the staging since they changed it in 2019.
Djavan's Enjolras is so passionate about everything he believes in. But he's also the softest Enjolras I've seen: you can see his confusion about why Grantaire hangs around, but he's empathetic and kind to him even through his frustration.
And Tom's Grantaire cares so deeply for Enjolras, and he's so desperate for him to see him. It's all so beautiful. The relationship between Enjolras and Grantaire is so poetically, and delicately, portrayed. And Djavan and Tom both understand their characters on such deep, personal levels. They're the perfect ExR combination. And I will never, ever get over them.
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