This is community theatre at its most vital and necessary—proving when hearts are this committed and talent runs this deep, magic happens.
What a time to be alive—and what a time to witness the power of community theatre at its absolute finest. Brighton Theatre Group's production of Les Misérables: Let The People Sing at Theatre Royal Brighton is extraordinary, marking a historic moment as part of Cameron Mackintosh and Music Theatre International's groundbreaking UK-wide amateur theatre project celebrating the 40th anniversary of Boublil and Schönberg's worldwide phenomenon.
This ambitious initiative, sees 11 community productions mounted across the UK —and this version of Les Mis has never previously been made available to amateur groups in the UK. Brighton Theatre Group, working collaboratively with Brighton & Hove Operatic Society, The Rattonians, and Worthing Musical Theatre Company, has created something genuinely magical with the support and guidance of the show's West End and international associate creative teams.
Like the original, this is epic production. By cleverly using large backstage projections with sophisticated perspectives at the rear of the stage, audiences have the visceral feeling of being transported through the different spaces of revolutionary Paris where Hugo's narrative unfolds. This well executed design allows for lightning-quick scene changes, atmospheric effects, and some truly clever digital fade-outs that serve the relentless pace of this story beautifully.
The physical lighting design was excellent, adding serious atmosphere where ever needed, the choreography spectacular and precisely executed. I was particularly impressed by the sharp diction and exquisite harmonies of the production chorus—every word crystal clear, every note perfectly placed, creating those spine-tingling moments that make Les Mis the phenomenon it is.
This was a polished and utterly engaging production of what can be an overwhelming narrative. There's no stopping it, no pause for breath, and there's an enormous amount to pack into one evening. The pressure of this relentless pace is managed expertly, allowing the standout moments to truly shine before the stage fills again with blustering singing sailors, desperate ladies of the night, broken drunks, or passionate revolutionaries. The costumes flatter and support this huge cast magnificently, giving a genuine feeling of the desperation and grinding misery of the times.
There were tears throughout the auditorium as those well-known, heart-wrenching numbers soared into the rafters. Apart from a few minor technical hiccups at the beginning with a mic, the sound quality was excellent throughout. This production boasts some genuinely fine voices, with all the principal singers delivering superb performances, reaching out and wrapping themselves around the heartstrings of an audience who were truly living their best theatrical moments.
Although they may have "amateur" in their billing, this is a polished, professional-calibre show featuring dedicated and talented actors, singers, and dancers of all ages, each taking multiple roles. They serve up an intoxicating night exploring a society on the edge of revolution, picking out the wretched individual stories that weave, intersect, and overlap to show the tensions, pressures, misery, and stolen moments of joy in pre-revolutionary France.
This production sticks close to the deep sentimentality of Hugo's original story, and rightfully so. The orchestra was excellent, underscoring every emotional shift and change on stage with superb musicality, elevating every moment.
Hugo's words resonate as powerfully today as ever: "So long as the three problems of the age—the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of women by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night—are not solved, we need this story" his story remains relevant. In our current climate of rising inequality and social division, watching Valjean's journey from desperation to redemption, witnessing Éponine's unrequited love transform into selfless sacrifice, and seeing the students' passionate fight for justice feels like looking in a mirror.
From a queer perspective, Les Misérables has always spoken to our community's experience of existing on society's margins. The outcasts, the rejected, those fighting for dignity and recognition—these themes resonate deeply with LGBTQ+ audiences. Éponine's gender-bending courage, the chosen family dynamics between the characters, and the revolutionary spirit of refusing to accept an unjust status quo all speak to queer resilience. In Valjean's transformation and ultimate acceptance, in Marius and Cosette's love transcending social barriers, and in the students' refusal to be silenced, we see reflections of our own struggles for authenticity, acceptance, and equality.
Brighton's production captures all of this with remarkable sensitivity and power. This is community theatre at its most vital and necessary—proving when hearts are this committed and talent runs this deep, magic happens.
Les Misérables: Let The People Sing continues at Theatre Royal Brighton through Saturday 23rd August. Do not miss this remarkable achievement—it's a revolution worth joining. Tickets from Theatre Royal website here.
