Les Misérables Reviews

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Les Misérables Critics' Reviews

Les Misérables

Critics' Verdict: ★★★★★

“Haunting and thrilling”

“Pure and vulnerable”

“Imperfect, absurd, magnificent show”

“Terrific lead performances”

“Thrilling triumph”

“A marvellous innovation”

“A sea change in musical theatre”

“Still spectacular”

Les Misérables Review | What The Critics Think

I would seriously question whether any other show on the planet bar ‘Les Misérables’ could get away with junking its original production and carrying on as if nothing had changed. But ‘Les Mis’ could be transposed to space, or underwater, or to the height of the Hittite empire and it would basically be the same show as long as the singing was on point.”

★★★★

— Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out

“What’s the sign that you’ve seen a great musical? You wake up the next morning with the score racing through your head? Check. You consider jacking it all in to pursue a career in musical theatre? Check. You immediately plan a return trip? Double check. The West End’s longest-running musical, Les Misérables, has reopened at the refurbished and renamed Sondheim theatre (formerly the Queen’s), and what a thrill – no, a privilege – it is to “hear the people sing” once more."

★★★★★

— Miriam Gillinson, The Guardian

“The show remains a thrilling triumph. Here's to the next 35 years, as it looks set to become The Mousetrap of musical theatre; but unlike that murder mystery, there's hardly any mystery to why it's such an enduring success."

★★★★★

— Mark Shenton, London Theatre

“Swift, slick, sexy, sounding better than ever and constantly spectacular, the posters that flood Shaftesbury Avenue are, to be fair, pretty much on the money: this is a Les Mis for the 21st century.”

★★★★

— Tim Bano, The Stage

“The through-sung score, with its tum-te-tum rhythms and recurring motifs, moves from rousing anthems to passionate, spotlit declarations of love and loss. As in Hamlet, almost everybody dies, and the few that survive have their dreams smashed. It’s not my preferred cup of tea but it’s supremely well done here."

★★★★★

— Nick Curtis, Evening Standard

Les Misérables Review: Our Verdict

Les Misérables

Here is what our reviewer had to say about West End's Les Misérables:

There are very few live theatre shows that stand the test of time. Les Misérables is surely one of them. It started playing in London in 1885 at the Palace Theatre and then shifted to what would eventually become London's Sondheim Theatre, where it is playing to date. This makes it one of the longest-running musicals in the world, so there is precious little doubt about what an incredible production it is. With Victor Hugo’s story at heart, breathtaking set designs, powerful storytelling, a legendary soundtrack and a stellar cast, Les Misérables is an experience par excellence. If you’re into musical theatre and are in the city, leave everything and go watch this, the London Eye can wait. It is truly a one-of-a-kind feeling to be in that theatre.