(Contains spoilers for Les Miserables)
Apparently this year I go and see shows in London. This time it was for work. I can tell I’m not over the latest bout of covid because everything just made me incredibly tired. When I wasn’t supporting the boss I was laying down or sleeping. I’m back on the large amounts of painkillers too.
On thé one hand maybe I need to stop doing some stuff, on the other, getting out of the house or even just getting out of bed is definitely good for me mentally. I hate this constant juggle of physical and mental health.
The Fae Ref said it was a nice perk to go to see a performance for work, which is true, it’s one of the reasons I really liked this work before the pandemic. I’ve seen concerts, films, all kinds of theatrical stuff and been paid for it. I like getting to go to unusual places too, like into government places (local and National), chatting to lawyers (and once a judge) and having them assume you’re some type of professional. It feels sometimes like I’m kind of a spy, someone on minimum wage who’s snuck in to see how the people with properly paid jobs live.
I loved the show, I was a bit disappointed by my favourite song, Eponine’s actress didn’t have quite the power I want from a good “On My Own” On the other hand I absolutely loved all the multi-voice parts that linked and interwove – you can tell I’m not a musician because I’m not describing them well at all.
Javert was ok but Jean Valjean was amazing – gorgeously powerful voice. I found the costuming for Javert and Cosette had been a bit over influenced by the film, and to be honest after seeing this production I’ve had it reinforced quite how the film fell flat.
My favourite part of the whole thing was the way they used moving scenery and projected images to suggested time passing in the sewers and then total perspective change for Javert’s suicide making him really tumble into the river – which was very well done because initially it looked like he was going to jump all of three foot from the prop down onto the stage. Instead they had him in a rig so he jumped and they moved the prop up into the flies and had the projector give the idea of movement. He tumbled and they swirled the projected images as if we in the audience had changed camera perspective. So when he finally ‘fell’ he was whisked to the back of the stage.
The barricade was a bit disappointing but I’m not sure why, I think I must have seen a more impressive barricade in a performance at some point.
The actor playing Gavroche was very good indeed, I know he’s The Social Worker’s favourite character but I don’t think I’ve ever been impressed enough by him in a performance to get why before. I think I’ve always dismissed him as a crude plot element to wring out some tears over the death of a child. However in this performance he was absolutely on point and actually felt like a part of the student scenes.
I really need to try and read the original book now.