(Clockwise) Killian Donnelly, Alfie Boe, Bradley Jaden and Michael Ball
Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Killian Donnelly and Bradley Jaden are the first star signings for the highly anticipated Les Misérables – The Arena Spectacular – the major new world touring production based on the record-breaking Les Misérables – The Staged Concert.
Multi-platinum-selling recording artist and Tony Award-winner Boe will share the role of Jean Valjean with Olivier Award-nominee and recent West End Valjean, Killian Donnelly, while Boe’s touring partner and fellow multi-platinum-selling recording artist and double Olivier Award-winner Ball and Bradley Jaden, fresh from his critically acclaimed performance in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, will take turns to play Javert.
Announcing the high-powered quartet, Cameron Mackintosh said: “The spectacular world arena tour of the Les Misérables concert has been a dream of mine for many years. With Les Mis’40th phenomenal year starting this October, there couldn’t be a better time for it to happen.
“A dream concert deserves a dream cast and I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that the first UK leg of the tour, which opens in Belfast in September and is already more than two-thirds sold out, will star Alfie Boe or Killian Donnelly as Jean Valjean and Michael Ball or Bradley Jaden as Javert, heading a cast and orchestra of over 65.
“Many other favourite Les Misérables performers, chosen from all over the world, will be announced in a few weeks. After the UK, the world tour will play many cities across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Korea, Japan and several other Asian cities before it returns to Europe and beyond.
“With the Les Misérables movie now being re-released in cinemas across the world in its completely remixed digital glory, sounding and looking better than ever, and with the London and North American productions still regularly breaking attendance records, Les Misérables is a true phenomenon – The People’s Musical – and the only musical ever to be simultaneously a hit on stage, screen and in concert arenas. Boublil and Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer and I owe our inspiration to the genius of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece.”
Presented by Mackintosh in association with Nick Grace Management, the tour will launch at the SSE Arena in Belfast from 19-28 September before heading for Glasgow’s OVO Hydro Arena (3-6 October), Sheffield’s Utilita Arena (10-13 October) and Aberdeen’s P & J Live Arena (17-20 October). The tour will then begin its European leg in Luxembourg from 25-27 October, followed by Geneva, Trieste, Milan, Copenhagen, Oslo and Zurich. Its final UK dates will be in Manchester at the AO Arena (26-29 December) and at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle (2-5 January) before moving on to Sweden, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
The tour’s launch will coincide with the groundbreaking stage musical’s 39th year and will run throughout the 40th anniversary celebrations for the world’s longest-running musical in 2025. There are also plans for the production to follow its first world tour with dates in North and South America.
Les Misérables – The Arena Spectacular will be an expanded version of the star-studded concert version of Les Misérables which played to packed houses at the Gielgud Theatre in 2019 while the much-loved show’s original home. the Queen’s Theatre, was closed for refurbishment ahead of its re-opening as the Sondheim Theatre. Les Misérables – The Staged Concert eventually played over 200 performances in the West End.
The production will feature a new design tailor-made for arenas and large theatres with audience capacity between 3,000 and 5,000. The spectacular production will have a UK company of over 110 actors, musicians and crew featuring a core cast and celebrated Les Mis alumni as guest stars.
The critically acclaimed full production of Les Misérables continues to play the Sondheim Theatre. Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel with additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Oscar-winning movie a remastered and remixed version has been released in cinemas nationwide.
Angela Thomas
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