Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular rolled into Glasgow’s Hydro as part of its monumental world tour, and the massive production did not disappoint.
Those in attendance were treated to an evening of world class singing and jaw dropping visuals, with a cast and staging that brought Victor Hugo’s story of revolution and redemption to life on a humongous scale.
All throughout, the vocal performances never fell short of outstanding – far surpassing those of Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in the 2012 film version.
The ‘spectacular’ production definitely lived up to its billing (Image: Danny Kaan)
Alfie Boe was absolutely spine-tingling as protaganist Jean Valjean, easily filling the vast arena with some of the most powerful vocals I’ve ever heard. Bradley Jaden, as Javert, was equally impressive and Boe’s perfect counterpart, whilst Channah Hewitt as Fantine almost brought the place down with her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream.
The ensemble was just as strong, with standout moments from Emily Bautista as Éponine in the heartfelt On My Own, and Jac Yarrow as Marius, whose romance with Cosette (Beatrice Penny-Touré) was beautifully played. Every note was pitch perfect, and the passion of the performers shone through, even in such a large venue.
The entire ensemble was flawless (Image: Danny Kaan)
Visually, The Arena Spectacular lived up to its name. The scale and perfection of the production was staggering, with digital projections and larger-than-life set pieces that transformed the Hydro into revolutionary Paris. From the iconic barricades to the slums of the city, the quality and the attention to detail was second to none.
Of course, the Hydro is not exactly your typical musical theatre venue. While every effort has clearly been made to adapt the production to the huge arenas it is now playing at, there were moments where watching it in a traditional theatre would probably have been better.
The standard of the production was world class (Image: Danny Kaan)
Given the hugeness of the space, the performers faces were projected onto huge screens behind them – meaning they tended to sing into the cameras, rather than to the other actors.
This is understandable and enhanced the experience more than not, but sometimes made it harder to feel the emotional connections between characters.
Occasionally a scene would feel more like a concert than a cohesive dramatic performance, and most of the time you’re watching the screens more than the performers. It loses half a star as a result, though being able to see the actors’ faces close up definitely added more than it detracted.
The scale of the production is immense (Image: Danny Kaan)
Overall though, Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular was precisely as spectacular as avertised, a fantastic evening of top draw entertainment. The sheer scale and ambition of the production, paired with the extraordinary performances, made for exhilarating and life-affirming viewing: exactly as a good musical should.
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular is running at the Hydro from October 3-6. Tickets are available at: https://www.ovohydro.com/events/detail/les-miserables.
