Umm, wow. Just wow. This show was great when I saw it a month ago, but this time was even better!
John Owen-Jones was phenomenal as always, but there was something extra-special about his performance this time. I’m not entirely sure what it was, but I think that it was that the characterisation was even more detailed and vibrant than I have seen before. He was utterly sensational.
Michael Ball was amazing, and there was so much more characterisation than last time. I thought that the wooden nature of the performance last time was purposeful characterisation, representing Javert’s character. Now I think that maybe Mr Ball was having a slight off day because, this time, there was no woodenness at all. There was menace, and hatred, and loathing, and confusion, and realisation. I don’t think that I have ever seen such an emotional portrayal of Javert, and Mr Ball’s performance of ‘Stars’ was absolutely brilliant.
Matt Lucas’s characterisation of Thénardier was also, to my mind, so much better than previously, as he was less jovial throughout and had a touch of menace, so the audience got glimpses of the character’s dark, malevolent side.
And, this time, people weren’t stooping to sing into the microphones, there was more acting and interaction between characters, and I wasn’t quite so blinded by the lights, especially at the beginning of Act 1 - they seemed to move more quickly, weren’t so focussed on the audience, and were slightly less bright. And queues for the toilets in the interval seemed to move so much more quickly and smoothly than last time. So everything had been stepped up a notch and was so much better!
The only thing that slightly ruined my night was the couple in front of me who talked throughout the show. Well, he did; and she did absolutely nothing to discourage him or tell him to stop, so they’re both to blame. He seemed drunk. He kept leaning over to his partner to whisper/talk, could not sit still for more than five minutes, was lounging about, draping his arm across the back of the seat of the person to his left, who was not part of his party! That person switched seats with someone else in her party at the interval, and I don’t blame her. The man in front of me clearly appreciated the show - he was one of the first to his feet for the standing ovation at the end - but he had no respect for other audience members or the actors on stage, and clearly thought that he was at home in his living room. I could hear every word he said to his partner and, although talking throughout is unforgivable, even more unforgivable is that he didn’t wait until loud parts of the show to talk - he talked whenever he felt like it. During Fantine’s Death, ‘A Little Fall of Rain’ and even ‘Bring Him Home’! What is there to say during a show that you can’t wait 80 minutes to say?! Are people now incapable of not talking for more than five minutes?!
I should have said something to them but, to my shame, I didn’t - I was too angry to be polite and, given how drunk he seemed, I wasn’t convinced that he wouldn’t just ruin the rest of the show in other ways on purpose. And it’s terrible that I had to feel like that. People who cannot sit through a show without talking shouldn’t be allowed to buy theatre tickets or, more realistically, should be told to stop by the ushers (as they do with people who take photos) and be asked to leave if they don’t stop. Next time this happens, I’m going to alert the ushers at the interval and ask them to keep an eye on such people and take action where needed - neither I, nor anyone else, should have to put up with such rude, inconsiderate, disrespectful people. Theatre is much more inclusive than it used to be a hundred years ago, but there is still a core code of theatre etiquette which audience members should abide by. Unfortunately, and as I see from so many tweets from actors on stage, so many people just don’t have any common sense or common decency anymore at the theatre. It’s so disappointing that shows are ruined by such ignorant and rude people.
Anyway, enough of my ranting.
This show is absolutely brilliant, and this cast is just so talented. It really is an honour and privilege to see this show and this cast, and I can’t wait to see it again in November. Given this performance, I have a feeling that it may be even better next time…