Les Mis London - 18/06/19
Just some notes from the performance last night! They’re a good cast, but the real knockout performance was Bradley Jaden as Javert - he’s the best Javert I’ve ever seen live, and damn - Stars brought the house down.
Enjolras & Grantaire
> Enjolras seemed much more book canon in this performance? Like had two modes - “I am speechifying” and “what are emotions I’m confused,” which was really evident in his interactions with Grantaire because Grantaire’s performance was so much more of the emotional heart of Les Amis (Adam Filipe was excellent and is kind of canon for me now), which makes sense considering the fact the others don’t really get characters per se in the stage show. Like R didn’t once pick up a gun at the barricade, he’s always the one hugging everyone, chivvying Gavroche around the stage etc. You definitely got a sense of Grantaire the cynic and the drunkard, but not Grantaire the obnoxious asshole which was interesting.
> Lots of longing looks (especially on R’s part at Enjolras). Like to a shipper, you could probably read Samuel Edwards’ Enjolras as “has feelings but has no idea what to do about them/ is super busy planning a revolution.” Especially in the bit in Drink With Me, and Grantaire like collapses against Enjolras, and Enjolras stands there for a moment and then hugs him and it’s like “oh, hugs, I know how to do those!” kind of went off in his brain. But apart from that it was a lot of “manly shoulder slaps” on E’s part, which again, could read as emotionally illiterate.
> Enjolras was also very sarcastic - when Marius is being a romantic dork, Enjolras just gives him this really sarcastic thumbs-up, like “are you done now” and that was hilarious. He also pulls this chair out really elegantly in the “Marius you are no longer a child,” bit and sits down just to get right on Marius’ level to deliver the “who cares about your lonely soul” line straight at his face and then is right back on his feet for the rest of the verse which was hilarious too.
Gavroche
> Was so tiny! So tiny! And a really good actor!
Javert & Valjean
> Bradley Jaden was incredible, and the tension between Javert and Valjean was so good, like this is the first performance I’ve watched where I’m like “yeah, that could *definitely* be something there.” There’s a moment in the Confrontation where they are leaning over opposite ends of Fantine’s bed, over her dead body, and man, you could just cut it with a knife!
> At the musical climax of Stars, Javert kneels and crosses himself - lovely touch!
> Javert’s Suicide was anguished and heartbreaking and his absolute disintegration is really obvious - other Javerts I’ve seen have been more stoic, but man this worked!
Marius
> Was so bemused and awkward, and really captured the innocence and naivete without being annoying - his Heart Full of Love was so perfect (and again more book-canon, I felt). His relationship with Eponine was also genuinely sweet.
The ladies!!!
> Eponine and Fantine were awesome, Cosette played very very girly, which is fine and can suit her but can be annoying at times (I prefer her a little more serious?)
> Eponine really fought people, especially her father’s gang in The Robbery, and Attack on the Rue Plumet.
> Carly Stenson as Fantine is a study in how to go from a very pretty I Dreamed a Dream to total and utter breakdown - people who’ve seen this cast, have they made Bamabatois more grim? Because it certainly felt like it - he was doing something weird with his tongue and urgh.
The Thenardiers
> Thenardier had a really strong Scottish accent, which I just kept forgetting in between his lines and then he’d open his mouth and I’d be like “huh” and it was fabulous.
> Madame Thenardier was played as cleverer, which was interesting - during the Waltz of Treachery, she kept coming out with her lines and Thenardier would look at her like “what the hell are you doing woman...okay, okay, I’ll go along with it!” which felt different.
So basically: very good cast, I’m sad about the end of the Turntable Era, but I’m looking forward to the new production and staging they’re doing after the refurbishment of the Queen’s Theatre!
EDIT: I wrote Raymond Walsh but I’ve just been watching videos on Youtube and I was mistaken - I saw Adam Filipe’s Grantaire, sorry for the mistake!
