Karimloo Stars as Jean Valjean in Les Mis, from 29 Nov

Karimloo, who recently played the title role in the 25th Anniversary celebrations of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, joins the current West End company which includes Hadley Fraser as Javert, Caroline Sheen as Fantine and Alexia Khadime as Eponine.

He has previously played Enjolras in the West End and also in last year’s 25th anniversary concert of Les Miserables at the O2 Arena.

Other theatre credits include Chris in Miss Saigon and The Phantom in Love Never Dies, which earned him a Whatsonstage.com Award and an Olivier nomination, for Best Actor in a Musical.

Les Miserables had its world premiere at the Barbican on 8 October 1985. Based on Victor Hugo’s classic humanitarian novel set in 19th-century revolutionary France, the musical has a book by Alain Boublil, music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.

After its premiere at the Barbican, the landmark Royal Shakespeare Company production, adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and designed by John Napier, transferred, care of Cameron Mackintosh, to the West End’s Palace Theatre where it ran for 18 years before moving down the road on 3 April 2004 to the Queen’s.

The current cast also features Craig Mather as Marius, Cameron Blakely as Thénardier, Katy Secombe as Madame Thénardier, Liam Tamne as Enjolras and Lisa-Anne Wood as Cosette.