The music and story soars in this beautiful production that brings Victor Hugo’s original story vividly to life.
Being in the room where it happens: How quickly are theatre audiences going to return?
As theatre next week starts to finally edge cautiously out of a full lockdown of over five full months, plus only very intermittent appearances in the nine months before that, the question arises will the audiences be there for it?
Have theatrical producers of old forgotten how to treat the people who helped them reach the top in the first place?
Now we’ve seen Cameron Mackintosh here in London twice in the last year throw his original investors overboard on his two biggest hits: Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera.
Putting profits before people? Where is the original Phantom of the Opera we were promised?
When The Phantom of the Opera was unloaded from the Her Majesty’s Theatre last year, it produced the forlorn sight of the original Phantom chandelier resting on the pavement outside the theatre instead of poised over the proscenium from which it famously comes crashing down over the heads of those seated in the stalls.
NEWS: A socially distanced Les Misérables – The Staged Concert returns to the West End from 20 May 2021
Performances of Les Misérables – The Staged Concert will resume performances at the the Sondheim Theatre on 20 May 2021, booking to 5 September 2021. Patrons whose bookings were affected by the Government’s previous directives will be contacted from today.
As commercial producers yearn for a return to normal, will subsidised theatre play it safe or break the mould?
Some commercial producers, it appears, wanted the old order to be restored and business to proceed as normal, hence the rush to re-open as quickly as it was legally possible to do so back in November after we emerged from the second lockdown.
‘I wouldn’t count on us being safe until the summer at the earliest’: Mark Shenton shares his thoughts with a new daily blog for 2021
One of my new year resolutions — and one I intend to keep — is to revitalise this personal website ShentonStage as my primary editorial home this year.
NEWS: Les Misérables – The Staged Concert returns to the West End in December 2020
Les Misérables – The Staged Concert will return to the West End for a six-week limited run, playing at London’s Sondheim Theatre from 5 December 2020 to 17 January 2021.
NEWS: Winners announced for The Stage Debut Awards 2020
Newcomer Sam Tutty scooped two awards for his star-making performance in the hit West End musical Dear Evan Hansen at The Stage Debut Awards 2020. The awards were presented as a virtual ceremony filmed at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.
The Show People Podcast: A 4th anniversary special with Peter Polycarpou
This episode of was recorded in January 2020 – before Covid-19 changed everything. Host Andrew Keates shares an explanation about where The Show People Podcast has been for most of 2020 and celebrates the podcast’s fourth anniversary.
NEWS: Cameron Mackintosh tells Evening Standard West End Phantom is being ‘shut down’
In a candid self-penned article in the Evening Standard, producer Cameron Mackintosh has revealed that he and Andrew Lloyd Webber have been forced to “sadly permanently shut down” the iconic West End production of The Phantom of the Opera as a consequence of the Coronavirus crisis.
NEWS: Cameron Mackintosh announces West End closures until 2021, starts redundancy consultations
Cameron Mackintosh has delayed the return of his West End productions of Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, Hamilton and The Phantom of the Opera until as early as practical in 2021.
NEWS: Cameron Mackintosh releases digital download of Les Miserables concert to raise funds for Covid charities
Cameron Mackintosh has announced the debut of the hugely successful Les Misérables -The Staged Concert on digital download in the UK and Australia, which will also raise much-needed funds for performers, musicians and the NHS.
Acting for Others: Tune in for Fleabag, Hear the West End Sing, All the Web’s a Stage & other online fundraisers
Theatrical charity Acting for Others has announced the formation of a separate Covid-19 Fund which will be available to its 14 member charities.
In need of love & positivity? Here’s a selection of musical songs to listen during self-isolation
With everything going on at the moment, I thought one thing that everyone could do with is some positive and uplifting songs.
Text of the Day: Les Misérables
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘A night of world class musical theatre’: LES MISÉRABLES – Sondheim Theatre ★★★★
Above all it is Kretzmer’s stunning lyrical treatment of those soaring French melodies (on press night, immaculately delivered under Steve Moss’ baton) woven around a story that is breathtaking in its scope that still define Les Misérables as a night of world class musical theatre.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Les Misérables at Sondheim Theatre
Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for the newly opened production of Les Misérables.
Best of the Blogs: Les Misérables, Rags, Lullabies for the Lost & more
In our continuing series, our editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (to 19 January 2020), including Aleks Sierz’s view that the new production of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre is marching on to victory.
‘There is little point in denying its political punch’: LES MISÉRABLES – Sondheim Theatre
New blood courses through the veins of the West End’s longest-running musical Les Misérables.