So it was time to see an old friend again, partly because I haven’t seen it for 18 months, but also because two of the West End’s best leading men are currently Valjean and Javert: Killian Donnelly and David Thaxton.
I more or less know this show inside out, so it was fantastic to see Donnelly and Thaxton portray different interpretations of various scenes and a different dynamic between Valjean and Javert. This kept the show new and fresh and allowed Donnelly and Thaxton to own the characters. I was particularly impressed by the emotion and anguish Donnelly and Thaxton put into their numbers, most notably in ‘Valjean’s Soliloquy’ and ‘Javert’s Suicide’. The switching between speak-singing and normal singing was really effective, and their ability to growl and then hit perfectly timed and pitched notes is a testament to how truly talented these two men are. The anguish in Thaxton’s ‘Javert’s Suicide’ was reminiscent of the Phantom in the Final Lair scene, and as a result I for one would like to see him in this role. Donnelly’s acting ability really shines through in this production, although perhaps the ageing is a little too fast and there’s no need for him to become so hunched and slow as soon as he does.
Moving away from the two leading men, the cast as a whole is strong, although Little Cosette and Gavroche seemed unusually weak, and I really did not like Karis Jack as Eponine. Her timing and intonation was odd and jarring, and neither her voice nor her acting were particularly strong. There was a real lack of chemistry between her and Paul Wilkins’ Marius, so much so that one of my party said that ‘A Little Fall of Rain’ was more like a drought and that actually the character should hurry up and die! And this is from someone who always cries at that scene!
Something that really struck me whilst watching the show this time is how minimalistic it is in terms of set (apart from the barricade, of course!) and how so much can be done within a black space with a few pieces of furniture. Very clever and very effective. This is the West End’s longest running musical for a reason - it is great and you will never get bored with it as you will always find something new to see in it. If you haven’t already seen it, it’s a must see!