Gossip

Mackintosh Brings New Les Mis to London???

Editorial Staff
London's West End

Cameron Mackintosh is planning an audacious move later in the year when he brings the reworked 25th Anniversary touring production of Les Miserables to London, where its competition will include the original version, currently at the Queen’s Theatre.

Speaking to BBC Points West recently about the current tour, the veteran producer said: “For the 25th Anniversary the show is going to do a short season in London, which I’m going to announce very shortly … I’ll have both productions running simultaneously, something that’s never happened before.”

The new production, which is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley, stars Gareth Gates as Marius, John Owen-Jones as Jean Valjean, and Earl Carpenter as Javert (See News, 29 Jun 2009).

In the same interview Mackintosh also referred to a “new musical” he is working on for January 2011. This is believed to be Betty Blue Eyes (based on the film A Private Affair), which has been adapted by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and is due to open with a four-week run at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.