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Post by xanady on May 4, 2019 21:52:12 GMT
Has it definitely been confirmed that this tour version will go into the WE after the tour concludes?
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Post by LaLuPone on May 4, 2019 21:56:55 GMT
Has it definitely been confirmed that this tour version will go into the WE after the tour concludes? It’ll be a different set because the tour’s going into 2020/2021, but yes it’s this production going into the Queens by the end of the year. |
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Post by xanady on May 4, 2019 22:10:32 GMT
^Thanks for the quick reply.I cannot get my head around the fact that this will be the official WE version.Took a really big coach-load to see this in Brum and the response from ‘first-timers’ to the show was incredibly lukewarm.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2019 2:17:38 GMT
Is anyone else tempted to go and see the original production one last time before they break it down? I hope someone secretly videos the original for future Youtube use. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 5, 2019 12:16:08 GMT
^Really really strange that the tour programme in Brum specifically refers to Valjean’s I9 year’s suffering on the chain gang and then in the show we get the Boat scene.I wasn’t expecting the boat scene as the programme notes told otherwise.I think that we need to see Valjean’s personal suffering and it seemed to me that the relentless hard-labour of breaking rocks for example day after day seems to me more taxing than being part of a rowing crew where one is sitting down and may be able to go through the motions and slack off a bit from time to time.Just rang a friend of mine who has a great deal of sailing experience and explained the scenario to him and he thinks I am VERY mis-guided and wrong in terms of the comparison of the two types of physical exertion and says that rowing on the sea in horrendous conditions is incredibly taxing so I will bow to his greater wisdom.Lighting was so dim on the night I saw it that didn’t even see any waves crashing unfortunately and maybe I do need to head to Specsavers lol as my eye-sight has deteriorated in the last few years. The Hugo paintings may have seemed like a good idea in a planning meeting but on stage looked like a five year old had smeared paint haphazardly all over the place imo.Again maybe the lighting design didn’t work for me? I was blessed to see the very first original cast in this show back in the day and sadly sometimes it’s a case of ‘if it ain’t broke,don’t fix it’ ,but then I felt the same about seeing CATS on tour after the New London version.Maybe I belong in a museum preserved in aspic 😆 I’m determined to get a positive comment from you about the tour version... how about Javert’s suicide? C’mon you have to admit that’s hugely better than the WE version. Or the bit in the sewers where you get the tunnels instead of just a plink-plonk sound effect? |
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Post by xanady on May 5, 2019 15:37:31 GMT
Yessir,you are correct about Javert and the sewer scene being improvements.Am giving it a second look/chance at the end of the coming week as I have never seen it on tour before and only ever in the WE.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2019 16:09:17 GMT
I'm hoping I'll be able to appreciate this production from the Gallery at Newcastle's Theatre Royal. For £30 I couldn't really say no, and there weren't really any other seats in the theatre I could afford.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2019 18:47:40 GMT
I'm hoping I'll be able to appreciate this production from the Gallery at Newcastle's Theatre Royal. For £30 I couldn't really say no, and there weren't really any other seats in the theatre I could afford. For Newcastle I believe rows C and D of the stalls (front two rows) were being sold as restricted view for £23.50. Not sure if there are any left, as they were never for sale online - only by calling/visiting the box office - but might be worth asking. |
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2019 19:44:35 GMT
I'm hoping I'll be able to appreciate this production from the Gallery at Newcastle's Theatre Royal. For £30 I couldn't really say no, and there weren't really any other seats in the theatre I could afford. For Newcastle I believe rows C and D of the stalls (front two rows) were being sold as restricted view for £23.50. Not sure if there are any left, as they were never for sale online - only by calling/visiting the box office - but might be worth asking. I called the box office just in case and they didn’t offer this to me. I would have preferred to be in the stalls but it’s a fairly small theatre so I think the gallery will be fine. |
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Post by xanady on May 10, 2019 16:33:54 GMT
Saw the touring show again to try and put some perspective on this.Am not convinced at all,sadly.To mis-quote Paul Newman-‘Why settle for hamburger(this version)when you can have steak’(the original).
In London,the revolve works because it gives us a real sense of Javert’s relentless pursuit and how Valjean has ‘travelled for so long’ to escape his past and begin again.It helps us relate to the constant ebb and flow and every changing nature of the lives of the poor,the students and the central characters.No revolvee,no likeee!
The barricade is a farce.A troop of Boy Scouts could breach it.The barricade is meant to be the major set-piece moment.Size matters lol.
Already spoke previously about the murky Hugo paintings and the dismal lighting design.No change on this reaction despite a very different choice of seat.
My personal preference is naturalism when poss and therefore do not really like projections and video-walls that just look really fake.They might be suited to something modern in tone like a jukebox musical but not Les Mis.
Just felt like a pastiche.However,the crowd went wild at the end.
Some great merch.House programme AND gorgeous brochure on a great £10 deal.Lovely fridge magnets etc.Nice 24601 T-shirts.
Sorry,but I will live on the fond memories of the original and the best,the great Irish troubadour,Colm Wilkinson and subsequent WE Valjean’s and casts.
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Post by danb on May 10, 2019 16:50:46 GMT
So it kinda sounds like you only like Les Mis for it’s gimmicky elements? Not it’s gorgeous score and songs, but it’s rickety turntable and a big pile of wood on stage? 😉
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Post by xanady on May 10, 2019 17:01:34 GMT
^Absolutely,danb,love a bit of wood,I do!😛
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Post by danb on May 10, 2019 17:10:20 GMT
Filth!
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Post by xanady on May 10, 2019 17:16:47 GMT
Guilty as charged,Sir.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 10, 2019 20:23:13 GMT
I think this version is totally worthy of its future place in the West End. It is better, yes better than the original in many respects.
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Post by 49thand8th on May 10, 2019 20:38:58 GMT
^Absolutely,danb,love a bit of wood,I do!😛 Maybe you could use that as a space bar? |
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Post by xanady on May 10, 2019 22:08:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2019 22:51:14 GMT
Oh god this is going to go out of context fast.
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Post by djp on May 16, 2019 0:54:38 GMT
^Really really strange that the tour programme in Brum specifically refers to Valjean’s I9 year’s suffering on the chain gang and then in the show we get the Boat scene.I wasn’t expecting the boat scene as the programme notes told otherwise.I think that we need to see Valjean’s personal suffering and it seemed to me that the relentless hard-labour of breaking rocks for example day after day seems to me more taxing than being part of a rowing crew where one is sitting down and may be able to go through the motions and slack off a bit from time to time.Just rang a friend of mine who has a great deal of sailing experience and explained the scenario to him and he thinks I am VERY mis-guided and wrong in terms of the comparison of the two types of physical exertion and says that rowing on the sea in horrendous conditions is incredibly taxing so I will bow to his greater wisdom.Lighting was so dim on the night I saw it that didn’t even see any waves crashing unfortunately and maybe I do need to head to Specsavers lol as my eye-sight has deteriorated in the last few years. The Hugo paintings may have seemed like a good idea in a planning meeting but on stage looked like a five year old had smeared paint haphazardly all over the place imo.Again maybe the lighting design didn’t work for me? I was blessed to see the very first original cast in this show back in the day and sadly sometimes it’s a case of ‘if it ain’t broke,don’t fix it’ ,but then I felt the same about seeing CATS on tour after the New London version.Maybe I belong in a museum preserved in aspic 😆 There's one set of options revolving along working with ships - either rowing them as in the new show , or hauling them up if i recall from the film. In reality the hauling seems more likely en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagne_of_ToulonThe original UK show seems to have them breaking rocks - which was the traditional british hard labour punishment on imprisonment It looks all a bit confused.. |
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Post by djp on May 16, 2019 1:04:00 GMT
There's one set of options revolving along working with ships - either rowing them as in the new show , or hauling them up if i recall from the film. In reality the hauling seems more likely en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagne_of_ToulonThe original UK show seems to have them breaking rocks - which was the traditional british hard labour punishment on impriosnment It looks all a bit confused.. |
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Post by cheesy116 on Jun 8, 2019 1:18:00 GMT
This is confirmed adding more dates in 2020 with noticeable gaps in the schedule. I've heard from a few people that its playing Glasgow at some point and the Kings Theatre currently has a month gap in April where the show also has a gap... Does anyone have any credible info about upcoming venues ?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2019 14:58:10 GMT
Does anyone know if this will be doing the Bristol Hippodrome?
Most of the big tours do, so seems odd that this has not been announced (especially given it will have been to Birmingham and Manchesterford twice!)
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Post by amp09 on Jul 17, 2019 23:25:27 GMT
Not heard anything so far, so bought tickets for Cardiff instead in December.
Just had a look though and there’s a lovely gap at the Bristol Hippodrome between 4th April and 12th May which strangely has no one-off shows in either. The tour also has the exact same gap between Norwich and Salford then. If I were a betting man, I’d say that it’s going to come to Bristol then. Failing that, it’ll have to be after Birmingham, July 2020.
How far in advance did the rest of the tour go on sale? They’re maybe waiting for more theatre confirmations to then announce them all together.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2019 20:58:53 GMT
Not heard anything so far, so bought tickets for Cardiff instead in December. Just had a look though and there’s a lovely gap at the Bristol Hippodrome between 4th April and 12th May which strangely has no one-off shows in either. The tour also has the exact same gap between Norwich and Salford then. If I were a betting man, I’d say that it’s going to come to Bristol then. Failing that, it’ll have to be after Birmingham, July 2020. How far in advance did the rest of the tour go on sale? They’re maybe waiting for more theatre confirmations to then announce them all together. Just seen that gap too - keeping fingers crossed. So most dates have gone on sale with a massive lead up (Summer 2020 Manc and Brum been on sale a while) - but it has sold so fast they really don't need to do this so sure they would sell out Bristol whenever it's announced. Hope you are right and they are waiting for a few more venues to confirm 3 or 4 together. Another question/observation - I assume as with Miss Saigon they will do an at least partial cast change after a year? Be interesting to see who stays/goes. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2019 21:21:48 GMT
I assume Killian will leave if they do a cast change. That'll be 2 years in the role now and a long-running Valjean is a rare sight.
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