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Palminder Kaur reviews Les Miserables, playing at Bristol Hippodrome theatre until 07 August

I have loved the songs from Les Miserables for 16 years and although I have ploughed my way through Victor Hugo’s epic masterpiece I had never seen a performance of the stage adaptation. That is, until last night.

It’s clear that an intimacy with the story is not a prerequisite to enjoying the show. My companion had managed to arrive at the doors not having an inkling about the plot. If you’re the same, you will probably be familiar with at least a couple of the numbers. They have been Susan Boyled, Dawson’s Creeked and Glee’d at us over the years, after all.

The story follows the life of Jean Valjean, a desperate, bitter man who finds he cannot live with himself unless he is true to his instinct for kindness and justice. Through squalid pre-revolutionary France we watch as he is pursued by the obsessive punisher Inspector Javert, as he finds someone to befriend and be a father to in the little orphan Cosette and then years later as he fights bravely on the barricades to protect her lover Marius (a great performance by Gareth Gates).

Owen-Jones’ Valjean and Earl Carpenter’s Javert were particularly effective, their scenes together full of delicious tension. Carpenter exuded a constant menacing charisma while Owen-Jones counterpointed this beautifully with tragic nobility.

Parisian lowlifes the Thenardiers were genuinely hilarious in what is otherwise a story very heavy on tragedy and injustice. Madalena Alberto’s Fantine was perfect in her gracious misfortune and eventual desperation.

The staging of this performance was brilliant. I heard many indrawn breaths of admiration during two scenes using very different but equally magnificent special effects. I won’t spoil these with too much detail here but will stress that they’re hugely effective.

I can’t fault a voice or a song – everything was just as I had hoped it would be. My only criticism would be Rosalind James’ Eponine indulging in an incongruous R’n’B warble through the last section of ‘On My Own’ which otherwise she sang to perfection. The applause after each number was heartfelt and even right now in my head I have ‘Bring him home’ soundtracking my typing.

Les Miserables runs until 07 August at the Bristol Hippodrome. It received a standing ovation from the audience last night, and I won’t be surprised if it gets the same rapturous reception every night until it leaves Bristol.

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