BMOS Les Misérables at Alexandra Theatre Birmingham Review
Written by Charis for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
BMOS Musical Theatre Company, in collaboration with Bilston Operatic Society, Bournville Musical Theatre Company, and West Bromwich Operatic Society, is staging the highest-budget musical theatre production in Birmingham amateur theatre history to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Les Misérables.
Once thought impossible for amateur performance, Les Mis has now been made available to the community, with 11 productions set to take place across the UK in 2025—a landmark moment for regional and amateur theatre.
Everything about this performance in Birmingham was perfection and did not feel amateur in any aspect. It would have been completely believable as a professional company. Les Mis is a timeless musical which requires a lot of emotion in order to work successfully, and this piece was certainly full of emotion. Every song and interaction unfolded exactly as it should, capturing the spirit of the story with precision and passion. The audience applauded after every number, completely immersed in the performance. By the final curtain, a standing ovation swept through the theatre, a true testament to the outstanding quality and emotional impact of the production.
The cast were all incredibly well chosen, their individual, collective vocal range and abilities shone in this production. Annabel Pilcher brought a remarkable range and emotion as Fantine to ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. The desperation and sadness could be felt by everyone in the audience.
Wil Neale fully embodied Jean Valjean, and his performance of ‘Bring Him Home’ brought him a prolonged round of applause. He also had a beautiful connection with Ismay Dudzinski-Grubb and Polly Lewis-Gvozdenvoic as Cosette. Both played Cosette exceptionally well embodying the character and showcasing talented voices. Luke Griffiths coupled extremely well as Mauris with Dudzinski-Grubb’s Cosette. Robbie Love embodied an angry, persistent police inspector Javert consumed by his desire to find Jean Valjean. Jaron Lewis-Haynes was incredibly cheeky and sweet as Gavroche. Tim Jones and Sophie Grogan brought the comedic moments as Monsieur and Madame Thenardier, perfectly hitting every beat, particularly in the unforgettable number ‘Master of the House’. Beth Dickson gave a strong performance as Eponine when performing ‘On My Own’. A song that required a strong singer, which Dickinson certainly is.
The big chorus numbers were particularly compelling to watch. The refined choreography, accurate attention to detail and magnificent musical harmonies were truly a marvel to watch. The cast’s enjoyment of performing was apparent for all to see, and it was impossible not to find yourself participating in the emotion. It was particularly a marvel to watch their performance of ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’.
The costumes from Charades, St Helens, were outstanding and really added to the professional feel of the performance. The choices made for characters particularly with the red waistcoat for Enjolras were a bold and well-thought-out choice which paid off well.
While there was not much set, the performance made great use of what they had in a variety of ways. For most of the piece set consisted of two towers utilised as towers in the slavery yard, backings at the mill, the inn and Jean Valjean’s house. There were also a few other set pieces, such as the gates for Valjean’s house and the barricade for the revolution. The barricade is an important visual for the show, and the tense feeling of the barricade was achieved within this staging. The idea to utilise a projection on the back of the stage to show a change of location or time period was also a well-thought-out idea.
Staging Les Misérables could easily have led to BMOS taking on more than they could handle, but it paid off incredibly well. The performance of Les Mis was a testament to the original and a true highlight and honour for amateur theatre.
Les Misérables can be viewed at The Alexandra Theatre Until 7pm Saturday 14th June.
★★★★★
