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Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre opening night – watch Jon Robyns, Bradley Jaden, Carrie Hope Fletcher and more

Boublil and Schönberg’s hit musical returned and we went backstage to talk to the cast after the show

Madeleine Spivey
London
Jon Robyns and Bradley Jaden
Jon Robyns and Bradley Jaden
The Les Misérables cast and creative team celebrated their West End return to the newly refurbished and renamed Sondheim Theatre – previously the Queen's Theatre – and WhatsOnStage went backstage to talk with the cast and creative team after the show.

Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg joined Cameron Mackintosh to welcome celebrity guests including Emeli Sandé, Rachel Stevens and Derren Brown.

Mackintosh gave an update on Stephen Sondheim's condition after the legendary musical maker had a fall earlier this month. He said at the opening: "Even better news, Stephen Sondheim is getting better and should be here within the next few weeks."

The Les Misérables cast includes Jon Robyns as Jean Valjean, Bradley Jaden as Javert, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Shan Ako as Eponine, Gerard Carey as Thénardier (with Ian Hughes playing the role until 3 March), Josefina Gabrielle as Madame Thénardier, Harry Apps as Marius, Ashley Gilmour as Enjolras and Lily Kerhoas as Cosette. Rachelle Ann Go will return to the role of Fantine for seven weeks in the spring and will take over the role fully from Fletcher in the summer.

They are joined by Kelly Agbowu, Ciarán Bowling, Richard Carson, Rodney Earl Clarke, Cellen Chugg Jones, Matthew Dale, Matt Dempsey, Harry Dunnett, Jessie Hart, Jessica Joslin, Sarah Lark, Georgie Lovatt, Ellie Ann Lowe, Luke McCall, Leo Miles, Claire O'Leary, Shane O'Riordan, Kathy Peacock, Sam Peggs, Mark Pearce, Emma Warren, Sake Wijers, Mared Williams and Samuel Wyn-Morris.

The new Sondheim Theatre show has music by Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker with original orchestrations by John Cameron.

The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, musical staging by Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt, and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Alfonso Casado Trigo.