Overview
Musicals don't get much bigger than Les Misérables. That's been evident on the stage for more than four decades. When the production has been adapted for the screen, too, it's also been clear. In Australia, next comes Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular, which will put on a show set in 19th-century France on a three-city tour from April 2025.
Do you hear the people sing? Audiences in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane definitely will when the production gets the music of the people, plus the songs of angry men, echoing. A stacked cast and a 65-plus-piece orchestra will bring Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular to life at ICC Theatre, Rod Laver Arena and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, with the format heading Down Under after playing the UK and across Europe.
Starting on Wednesday, April 30 in the Harbour City, Australia is getting a five-week-only run, before the show travels through Asia — including Japan, Taiwan and China — and then returns to Europe, with American and Canadian seasons also planned.
What makes this an arena spectacular, other than the venues that it's playing? The production isn't just taking the stage iteration of Les Misérables as is to sizeable sites — as a concert, it has been specifically created and designed for such locations.
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular was born to celebrate a hefty milestone for the song-filled theatre take on Victor Hugo's famous 1862 novel: the London production of Les Misérables reaching its 40th year in 2025. Yes, it's West End's longest-running musical. But the arena spectacular's origins hail back earlier, to not long after Les Mis debuted on the stage in 1980 — and also have ties to Australia.
"I have long dreamt of taking an Arena Tour of Les Misérables around the world, but I am especially thrilled to be bringing it back to Australia where the outrageous of idea of doing Les Mis as a concert began," explains producer Cameron Mackintosh.
"When I first did the stage production of Les Misérables in Sydney in 1987 — with the wonderous Marina Prior as Cosette (only two years after its London opening) — we were invited to do a concert in Sydney's Domain in January 1989 as part of the Sydney Festival. It was very early in the life of Les Misérables, so we had no idea if anyone would turn up, let alone know the music, as the show had only been playing for a year in the 1000-seat Theatre Royal. But, to our astonishment, 135,000 people turned up and embraced the show with a mighty roar — it was a night I will never forget, and the concert was born."
On its three Aussie stops, Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular will star Tony-winner Alfie Boe and British talent Killian Donnelly sharing the role of Jean Valjean, while Michael Ball — who featured in the original London 1985 production — plus Bradley Jaden are doing the same with Javert.
Prior is back as Madame Thénardier, as part of an international cast that also includes Little Britain's Matt Lucas as Thénardier, Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, Jac Yarrow as Marius and Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette.
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular Australian Dates 2025
From Wednesday, April 30 — ICC Theatre, Sydney
From Wednesday, May 14 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
From Wednesday, May 28 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular is touring Australia from April–June 2025. Ticket presales start at 1pm local time on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, with general sales from 1pm local time on Friday, November 29, 2024. Head to the production's website for more details and to sign up for the waitlist.
Images: Danny Kaan.