Les Misérables arena tour – first look at rehearsals

Delve inside the first day of rehearsals for the Les Misérables the Arena Spectacular.

The production will have a new design specifically created for arenas (and large theatres) with audiences of between 3,000 to 5,000. A UK company of over 110 actors, musicians and crew will feature, with guest stars appearing at various stops. It is expanded from the concert staging of the show seen in the West End, where it played across 2019. 

The long-running musical is based on the novel by Victor Hugo and features music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. It tells the tale of a former convict who tries to find salvation in revolutionary France.

As announced, for UK dates, Alfie Boe and Killian Donnelly will share the role of Jean Valjean and Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden will share the role of Javert. Donnelly and Jaden will also appear in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and Norway.

Peter Jöback will be performing for three Swedish dates. Joining them are Bonnie Langford as Madame Thénardier, Gavin Lee as Thénardier, Jac Yarrow as Marius, Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette, Channah Hewitt as Fantine, James D Gish as Enjolras and Jeremy Secomb as Bishop of Digne. 

Emily Bautista (Miss Saigon) will play the role of Éponine, set to appear at the UK performances in Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield and Aberdeen. Casting for Manchester and Newcastle performances will be announced soon.

The company is completed by Jonathon Bentley, Rebecca Bolton, Olivia Brereton, Amelia Broadway, Michael Burgen, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Beth Curnock, Shaun Dalton, Jonathan David Dudley, Harry Dunnett, Louis Emmanuel, Charlie Geoghegan, Harry Grant Smith, Connor Jones, Daniel Koek, Caleb Lagayan, Abel Law, Adam Robert Lewis, Georgie Lovatt, Andrew Maxwell, Jill Nalder, Zabrina Norry, Lisa Peace, Kathy Peacock, Ciaran Rodger, Jo Stephenson, Geddy Stringer, Helen Walsh, Raymond Walsh and Owain Williams.

Daniel Adesina, Theo Hills, Felix Holt, Leo Humphreys and Dexter Pulling will alternate the role of Gavroche with Dalia Al Nagar, Amanthi Crowe, Sophia Duffie, Maisie Mac Mahon and India Mills alternating the role of Little Cosette.

You can see who is performing at various stops here, and watch the video below.

The tour will open at the SSE Arena Belfast on 19 September 2024, where it will play until 28 September 2024. Following Belfast, the production will play limited dates at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena from 3 to 6 October, Sheffield’s Utilita Arena from 10 to 13 October and Aberdeen’s P and J Live Arena from 17 to 20 October. 

It will then commence its European leg in Luxembourg from 25 to 27 October, followed by Geneva (30 October to 3 November), Trieste (7 to 11 November), Milan (14 to 24 November), Copenhagen (27 November to 1 December), Oslo (5 to 8 December) and Zurich (19 to 22 December). Its final UK dates will be in Manchester at the AO Arena on 26 to 29 December and at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle from 2 to 5 January 2025 before moving on to Sweden (16 January to 2 February), Australia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. 

Tickets are on general sale now for the UK and European dates. The concert will run throughout the upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations for the musical in 2025. After that, it will play both North and South America.