LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR!

Final casting has been confirmed for the Australian leg of LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR! Due to demand, extra performances were recently added in Australia, with the World Tour now arriving at the ICC Sydney Theatre on 30 April 2025 for 15 performances, to be followed by Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne from 14 May 2025 for 15 performances and Brisbane Entertainment Centre from 28 May 2025 for 7 performances.

The newly added and final performances at ICC Sydney Theatre, will take place on Saturday 10 May and Sunday 11 May and in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday 24 May and Sunday 25 May.

In the final casting update and adding to the incredible calibre of worldwide talent on the Arena Spectacular stage, award winning performer and singer songwriter Shan Ako stars as Éponine in Australia. Shan won The Stage Debut Award for Best Performer in a Musical for this very role when she starred in the 2020 new Staged Production of LES MISÉRABLES at the Sondheim Theatre and she also played Éponine in the sell-out Staged Concert at the Gielgud Theatre that was broadcast in cinemas around the world. Recently Shan starred in many West End productions including in Hamilton as Eliza. Also confirmed, 8 talented Australian children have been cast to star in the Arena Spectacular during its Australian dates. Sharing the role of Gavroche will be Christopher Joseph, Sebastian Sero, Orlando Steiner and William Steiner. Alongside them sharing the role of Little Cosette will be Samara Coull-Williams, Violet Massingham, Scarlett Sheludko and Alexandra Szewcow.

The London production of LES MISÉRABLES, the World’s longest running musical, has entered its incredible 40th record-breaking year, still playing to sell-out audiences. To celebrate this extraordinary milestone, Cameron Mackintosh has put together the most spectacular Arena production of a musical ever staged which has played to rave reviews and sold-out Arenas in the UK and major European cities, before it arrives in Australia, FOR FIVE WEEKS ONLY. The World Tour then heads to Japan, Taiwan, China, and several other Asian countries before it returns to Europe and now, after its rapturous reception, is planning to extend across America.

LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR has an extraordinary and exciting new design, specifically created for these venues, from the world class team of Matt Kinley, Paule Constable, Warren Letton and Finn Ross with sound by Mick Potter.

The celebrated cast of LES MISÉRABLES alumni is led by Alfie Boe and Killian Donnelly sharing the role of Jean Valjean, and Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden sharing the role of Javert, alongside Matt Lucas as Thénardier, Marina Prior as Madame Thénardier, Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, Jac Yarrow as Marius, Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette, James D. Gish as Enjolras, Shan Ako as Éponine and Earl Carpenter as the Bishop of Digne.

The company is completed by Jonathon Bentley, Rebecca Bolton, Olivia Brereton, Amelia Broadway, Michael Burgen, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Beth Curnock, Shaun Dalton, Jade Davies, Jonathan David Dudley, Harry Dunnett, Louis Emmanuel, Charlie Geoghegan, Harry Grant Smith, Connor Jones, Caleb Lagayan, Abel Law, Adam Robert Lewis, Georgie Lovatt, Andrew Maxwell, Jill Nalder, Zabrina Norry, Lisa Peace, CIARAN RODGER, Jo Stephenson, Geddy Stringer, Owain Williams and Australians Daniel Koek and Helen Walsh. Australian child cast Samara Coull-Williams, Christopher Joseph, Violet Massingham, Sebastian Sero, Scarlett Sheludko, Orlando Steiner, William Steiner. and Alexandra Szewcow.

Tony Award winner and international recording artist Alfie Boe became an overnight star after playing Jean Valjean in the 25th Anniversary Concert of LES MIS at the O2 in London in 2010, which established his reputation as one of Britain’s best leading men. He also had huge success in London and on Broadway, which has made him synonymous with the role, as well as leading The All-Star Concert production at the Gielgud and Sondheim theatres.

Killian Donnelly is one of Britain’s top musical theatre stars, not only having played the roles of Jean Valjean and the Phantom for Cameron several times to great acclaim but also having starred in London and on Broadway as the leading man in Kinky Boots as well as starring in the musicals Memphis and The Commitments. He also featured as one of the students in the award-winning movie version of LES MISÉRABLES alongside Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

Michael Ball has been involved with LES MISÉRABLES since he made his sensational West End debut playing Marius in the original London Production in 1985 and again in the 10th Anniversary concert. In 2004, he played the role of Jean Valjean for a special performance of LES MIS at Windsor Castle to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale at the request of the Queen and then returned to LES MIS, this time to play the role of Javert in 2019 opposite Alfie Boe in the stage and concert versions. Having played numerous lead roles from Alex in Aspects of Love to the title role in Sweeny Todd, and many more, he is indisputably one of Britain’s leading musical theatre stars, as well as a double Olivier Award-winning, Grammy nominated, multi-platinum recording artist and a hugely popular radio and TV presenter, as well as regularly headlining sell out concert tours, often with Alfie Boe.

Bradley Jaden played Enjolras during LES MIS’ 30th Anniversary in London and is now one of the most celebrated Javerts of his generation, playing the role in the stage production and in concert. His other West End credits include Stephen Sondheim’s OLD FRIENDS with Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, Fiyero in Wicked, Lancelot in Camelot in Concert and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera in Italy.

We’re thrilled to welcome back Matt Lucas as Thenardier. He first triumphed in the role in the 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 and later in the production at the Gielgud, before starring in the West End stage production. He’s best known for his appearances in films and major television series, including Little Britain, Matt is also a much-loved best-selling author, comedian, presenter, and comedy writer as well as one of the most recognisable personalities in Britian.

Starring alongside him is Australia’s leading lady, Marina Prior as Madame Thénardier. Early in her career Marina appeared in Cameron’s landmark Australian production of Cats in 1985, which was followed by playing Cosette in the original Australian production of LES MISÉRABLES, both propelling her meteoric rise to becoming Australian musical theatre royalty; which was confirmed when she sensationally played Christine in the original Phantom of the Opera. Numerous memorable lead roles include Maria in West Side Story and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. Marina starred in both the first Australian production of Mary Poppins and returned for the brand-new production in 2023 this time playing two different parts, Miss Andrew and the Bird Woman.

Internationally acclaimed theatre and music artist Rachelle Ann Go will join this all-star cast as Fantine. In 2014, Cameron Mackintosh chose Rachelle to star as Gigi in his breathtaking new production of Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End, a role she reprised on Broadway. This led to him casting Rachelle as Fantine, a role she played to critical acclaim in the West End, in tours across Asia, the UK and Ireland as well as featuring in the 30th Anniversary Gala of LES MISÉRABLES in London. Her third show for Cameron was creating the role of Eliza in the original London cast of Hamilton, a role she reprised in Asia.

Jac Yarrow, who plays Marius, became an instant star straight from college, in the title role of Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in 2019 at the London Palladium. More recently, he co-starred in Cameron’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends alongside Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, which led to his brilliant performance of Marius in the London production of Les Mis at the Sondheim theatre. Beatrice Penny-Touré is currently playing Cosette in the Arena World Tour and will join the Australian cast. Before this, Beatrice starred in The Book of Mormon in London and previously was in Cameron’s productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins and most recently, co-starred in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. Cameron found James D. Gish in America where he was playing the role of Enjolras in the MUNY production of Les Misérables in St. Louis, after performing in the US National Tour and Cameron immediately brought him to the UK to star in this Arena production where he’s had a huge success. His other credits include Fiyero in Wicked and Gerry Goffin in Beautiful. Shan Ako stars as Éponine, a role she has played in various Les Misérables productions in the UK over the past 6 years. More recently she starred as Eliza on Hamilton on the West End carving a very successful career as a theatre performer and singer songwriter after her appearance on the X Factor UK in 2018. Earl Carpenter plays the Bishop of Digne and is best known for his performance as Javert in Les Misérables and the Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Production. His most recent theatre credits include The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera as well as the Bishop of Digne and Bamatabois in the 2019 Les Misérables The Staged Concert at the Gielgud and Sondheim Theatres, and Father in the award winning production of Ragtime at the Charing Cross Theatre.

The idea for this World Arena Tour of LES MISÉRABLES was first discussed over 18 years ago by Cameron Mackintosh and Nick Grace after the success of a short European tour.