Les Misérables (school edition) review from a cafe

I’m sitting once again in Café Rouge with a coffee typing up my café blog. OK, its not quite the ABC café of Victor Hugo’s epic story Les Misérables but last night (Tuesday 10th Jan) I certainly did witness, as the character Marius sings, some ‘moments of breathless delight’.

I went to see Les Misérables – the school’s edition at Nottingham Arts theatre. I was undecided whether to fork out eight or nine pounds, even though it is one of my favourite musicals – this time, performed by youngsters up to the age of nineteen. The reason is, like most people presently I’m watching my spending but I tell you, the experience was well worth the investment.

The director Maggie Andrews and all her team have done an amazing job – I believe over four months rehearsals – to bring the musical Les Mis to this Nottingham stage. This is not an easy musical to carry off successfully and this cast of young people from Nottingham did a wonderful job. We should be proud to have such exceptionally talented youngsters here in our county to perform so passionately. Personally, I don’t have any children but if I was one of their parents I would be immensely proud of them.

I am very involved in the theatre world myself and it is very rare that one gets a standing ovation as well as applause at the end or finale but I predict that this superb production will witness this fervent expression of audience appreciation every single performance up to Saturday night this week. As I write this on a Wednesday it dawns on me that they are doing it twice today. Phew what stamina!

Very well done to all the brilliant leads, chorus characters, musicians, backstage and technical assistants, costumers, organisers, administrators and set builders/designers and once again to the director Maggie Andrews. Impressive stuff.

Lastly, this really is a fantastic show which I am sure will live eternally in the memories of these young people and give them a life long passion for the arts. What could be better than that?

Now could you get the songs out of my head please? lol

PS: All the best for the rest of your run. Go to the Nottingham Arts site if you want to book not through the image link at the top of this page.