Before the tiddlers came along Hubby and I could often be found keeping the seats warm in one theatre or another in London. We love nothing more than to watch a good show and have seen more than I can remember. Whenever I go, I feel a bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she goes to the opera and the music starts, her face comes alive and she is completely drawn into the atmosphere and the story.
A love of West End Shows
My favourite shows to date are Phantom of the Opera, Lion King and Les Miserables but there are still so many that I want to see, I could bore you forever with my list of ‘must-see shows’.
Les Mis on the big screen
When we heard that Les Miserables was being made for the big screen, we weren’t sure what to expect. Who would play Fantine, Jean Valjean, Javert . . . the questions went on and on. Then you find out who is playing who and you think to yourself, “can they sing?”. Well on Thursday night all of our questions were answered and we absolutely loved it!!!! I had heard a few dodgy reviews about Russell Crowe as Javert but we both felt he carried the role off really well, for me there was only one slightly dodgy line in his rendition of Stars, the rest was faultless. Anne Hathaway was magical as Fantine, she captured the emotion perfectly and I swear there wasn’t a dry eye in the cinema when she sang. Hugh Jackman can do no wrong in my eyes, he is one of the most talented actors to ever hit the big screen and his voice was amazing. You just don’t always think of these A-list Actors/Actresses as being singers too but he was so well cast and they did an amazing job of ageing him throughout.
Master of the House
I really didn’t know what to expect of Sacha Baron Cohen but he and Helena Bonham Carter were perfect for their roles, they brought just the right amount of humour to an otherwise sorrowful tale and bounced off each other with ease. “Master of the House” will always be one of my favourites!!
Samantha Banks
I was also pleasantly surprised by Samantha Banks who played the adult Eponine. We had first seen Samantha in the search for Nancy a few years back, Hubby and I loved her then but as Eponine, she was amazing (and had the tiniest waistline ever – how jealous was I?!).
Screen v Stage
The one thing which stood out for me watching Les Mis on the big screen was how easy it was to follow the storyline, despite the fact that I had already seen it on the London Stage and loved it, I still didn’t have the full understanding of the story but on the big screen, it all came together and made the picture complete. I now want to go back and see it on the stage again. Have you seen it, what did you think?
It was the first ‘show’ I ever saw, I saw it again when I was studying theatre (darling!) and was even more in awe of it. Can’t wait to see it in the cinema just to see how it works. Great to see such a good review as it’s always a question over book to film, etc. Hope you’re doing ok? Can’t wait to read the next chapter!
Thanks for your comment, if you can definitely try to see it whilst its on the big screen I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
As for me, I’m doing ok thanks, still waiting . . . keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter x