Ahead of its week-long run at Leeds Grand Theatre, we chat with the stars of Les Misérables to find out about the record-breaking production.
You’re both playing two of the most iconic roles in musical theatre, Jean Valjean and Javert. What’s it like taking on roles like these?
Dean Chisnall: I say it to everybody, this is the dream role for anybody in musical theatre. It’s the pinnacle for any male performer and I just feel very lucky to do it, and to have done it for as long as I have. I’ve now played over 500 performances as Jean Valjean, and it still feels as magical as it did the first time I stepped on the stage.
I’ve always been a fan, long before I even dreamt of having a career in theatre. I was in London on my own about the age of 18 and pootled off to get myself a single ticket to see Les Misérables at The Palace Theatre. I sat there and completely fell in love with the show. I pinch myself every day.
Nic Greenshields: It’s a great privilege to play Javert. I first saw the show when I was in my teens, and to be doing it 25-years later is a huge honour. I try to bring out a different side to Javert, giving him multiple dimensions and making him more than just the baddie, showing a more emotional side to him.
What are your favourite moments in the show?
NG: One Day More is such an iconic moment for everyone. There is no better way to end the first act of a show! I always enjoy listening to Fantine sing I Dreamed a Dream, it’s a great number and I defy anyone to come and see it and not love that moment. The moments I have with Dean are wonderfully dramatic. I love the opening with the prisoners, and the moment that moves me is the finale with Valjean and Cosette. It’s musically so beautiful and the lyrics are stunning as well.
Why do you think audiences still love to come and see Les Mis?
DC: The messages of Les Mis are still so relevant. Everyone has something that they can relate to in the show, something that they have experienced in their lives. The show now is as fresh as it ever was, it’s a wonderful company that we’ve got here, and we’re delighted to be sharing it with people. There is no show that has a reaction quite like this one. It’s the greatest show on earth.
NG: The music is definitely a huge part of it. The score is stunning and has really broken through into popular culture, bringing it to a new audience. Ultimately, I think the show has remained so popular because of the themes. It’s a show about redemption and the human condition and everything that still resonates with us all today. We connect with the characters and become engrossed in the story and the beautiful music pulls everything together. It’s clearly a magical formula.
