The crown jewel of musicals – Les Misérables – is now playing to packed out audiences in Birmingham in a spectacular production for the 21st century which touches upon the troubled state of our world. 

The worldwide smash-hit musical is using every inch of the vast Birmingham Hippodrome stage to amaze show goers with a production that brings laughter and tears.

While heatwave temperatures outside the theatre are setting new meteorological records, the space inside Birmingham’s Hippodrome heated up the audience with a sizzling show that had people standing up in rapture and awe.

Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary show may be based on a French novel written in 1862 yet the thought-provoking themes of Victor Hugo’s searing book speak to a modern audience.

The startling similarities between the musical’s themes and the current state of the world are uncanny.

Homelessness, poverty, unemployment, the chasm between the ruling class and the working class, injustice, political corruption, the exploitation of workers, the mistreatment of women, and the descent into paranoia and suspicion as communities are placed under scrutiny in this sociologically topical, and psychologically powerful show.

The mirror being held up by novelist Victor Hugo, and by the show’s composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Alain Boublil, makes the audience realise that, despite the passing of a century, our world looks pretty much the same in terms of social injustice and destitution as that inhabited by the characters of Les Misérables.

The English version of the musical Les Misérables, which premiered in 1985, is one of the longest-running shows in West End history, and it continues to engage and thrill audiences to the present day as evidenced in Birmingham where the curtain rose on an exciting new production.

The sheer scope and magnitude of the show is bigger than ever before and has to be seen to be truly believed. The costumes, props, staging, and huge cast and crew – including full live orchestra – are on the scale of a multi-million dollar Hollywood film production.

This is a night at the theatre where no cost or detail has been spared to translate the show to a 21st century audience that demands top quality entertainment.

The show tells the story of an innocent man named Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child, and being imprisoned for nearly 20 years for the crime, and upon release is pursued doggedly by a police officer named Javert when Valjean breaks the terms of his parole.

In an remarkable scene where Valjean steals some silverware from a priest who has sheltered and fed him, and later brought back to the church by police officers, the priest takes pity on Valjean and tells the officers that the silverware was not stolen but given as a gift to Valjean. He later tells Valjean that he has bought his soul and prays that he will travel upon the road of light, mercy, and love.

Valjean’s journey – which requires him to make huge personal sacrifices – becomes the thread which links various characters throughout the epic narrative of the story. The spirit of redemption and freedom shine brightly in the world of Les Misérables which is mired and sinking in the filth of lies, vice, violence, misogyny, division, and hatred.

The power of any show is the ability of the material to connect emotionally and philosophically with the audience, and this show does that with scenes of such emotive power that members of the audience were visibly moved by the drama taking place on the stage.

This scale of this musical requires a cast with immense stamina – the show show clocks in at around 3 hours – and the performers need to be able to sing, dance and act for long sections without much in the way of pause or rest.

The talented cast in this production rose to the challenge and performed as if their very lives depended on it.

Dean Chisnall was mesmerising as Jean Valjean, a man torn by honour and love. Chisnall’s tenor voice carries the emotional weight of the sacrifices he has made over the years as he tackles the trials and tribulations thrown at him from all sides. His vocal range was coloured with the pain felt by Valjean.

Valjean’s nemesis Javert was performed by Nic Greenshields who not only has size and stature – he towered over most of the other characters – but he also managed to convey the menace simmering in his tortured and tormented soul as he relentlessly, and remorselessly, hunts Valjean across the years.

The treacherous roles of Monsieur and Madame Thénardier were performed by Ian Hughes and Helen Walsh. Both of them brought a bright-eyed vaudevillian mischievousness to their roles. Their comic timing was in perfect synchronicity with each other and the rest of the cast, including the children.

The heartbreaking character of Fantine was brought to life by Rachelle Ann Go who invested a haunting fragility to her role. Go was incredible in each of her harrowing and gut-wrenching scenes which demanded physicality and intense emotion.

Nathania Ong transmitted the unrequited and lovelorn Éponine with such grace and beauty that members of the audience were weeping in the aisles. Ong’s melancholic voice brought a solemn hush to the Hippodrome’s auditorium.

The two lovers – dainty Cosette and the revolutionary Marius – are sung and acted by Paige Blankson and Caleb Lagayan. Blankson brings passion and strength to the role while Lagayan is fuelled by the fire of freedom and love as he rouses the citizens to stand up against tyranny and injustice.

The spectacular set designs by Matt Kinley, inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, are absolutely astonishing and entice the imaginations of the audience to engage and be drawn into the world being crafted on the stage. The depth of field in some of the scenes, especially with the way the imagery seems to move with the aid of back projection, really grabs the senses and gives the illusion of being sucked into the space inhabited by Hugo’s characters.

The direction by Laurence Connor and James Powell is truly cinematic and epic, with scenes moving along with energy and gusto.

As our world spirals towards darkness and uncertainty, this show offers us the glimpse of hope and light.

Les Misérables sings our songs, for our age, and it inspires the human spirit to rise above the darkness and pain of the world.

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Les Misérables is currently playing at The Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 27 August