Theatre review: Les Misérables, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Les Miserables at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

“THE WRETCHED” is the title Victor Hugo gave to his great 1862 novel, best known since 1980 in the form of Claude-Michel Schonberg’s stage musical, with lyrics and text by Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil, and - in English - James Fenton. There’s nothing wretched, though, about the musical version’s astonishing global success over the last 39 years; and now, this current touring version of Cameron Mackintosh’s smash-hit West End production has sold out a complete four-week run at Edinburgh’s 1900-seat Festival Theatre.

Theatre review: Les Misérables, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh ****

Based on a radical novel that seeks to expose a desperately unjust penal system and the plight of the 19th century urban poor, the musical version of Les Mis takes a famously romantic and apolitical approach to Hugo’s story. However soft-edged its style, though - and however heavily it leans on Schoenberg’s almost sung-through score of huge, emotive melodies - it has become a much-loved popular opera for our time; and in this staging by Laurence Connor and James Powell, the show - perhaps significantly - is comprehensively stolen by a magnificent Nic Greenshields in the role of the reactionary policeman Javert, rather than by Killian Donnelly’s slightly muted Jean Valjean.

The sets are spectacular, the 14-piece band is magnificent, the 40-strong ensemble sing and act their hearts out, belting out famous numbers from I Dreamed A Dream (superbly sung by Katie Hall’s Fantine) to Can You Hear The People Sing as if their souls depended on it; and if the overall effect is far from revolutionary, it’s still thrilling to see an audience of almost 2,000 people rise as one, to hail a much-loved musical that has, in its way, become the new opium of people, and the heart of a heartless world. - Joyce McMillan

Until 16 February.