Initial casting announced for UK tour of Les Miserables

Initial casting has been announced for the UK tour of Les Misérables, which begins at Curve, Leicester in November.

Killian Donnelly will play Jean Valjean – the role he is currently playing in the West End – when Boublil and Schönberg's musical hits the road later this year.

Donnelly's other West End credits include The Commitments, Memphis and Kinky Boots. Further casting and dates to be announced.

On the casting, producer Cameron Mackintosh said: "When I announced the first UK tour of Les Misérables for ten years, I was really delighted that Killian said to me that he would like to continue playing Jean Valjean.

"His passionate take on the role will be even greater in the thrilling staging of my new production which has proved to be a worldwide success all over again. He is the first Irishman to play the role since Colm Wilkinson in the original and I'm delighted that from advance bookings, this new tour looks set to be sold out before we open."

New venues and dates have also been announced for the tour, with the show visiting Birmingham Hippodrome (2 April to 11 May 2019), Milton Keynes Theatre (14 May to 8 June 2019) and Newcastle Theatre Royal (15 August to 5 October 2019), as well as the previously announced dates in Dublin, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel about the lives of people in 19th century France, Les Misérables features the classic songs "I Dreamed a Dream", "On My Own" and "Do You Hear the People Sing?".

Les Misérables first opened in France in 1980, receiving its London premiere at the Barbican in 1985. It is currently running at the Queen's Theatre in London's West End and earlier this year won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Original Cast Recording.