Thursday 8 October 2015

Happy 30th Birthday Les Miserables!

We shall not be 'glum' tonight! 30 years ago this evening, the world's longest running musical opened at the Barbican and tonight we will be celebrating it's success with a special performance. As a member of the Original London Cast, the show has had a huge impact on my life...

I was 10 years old, a part-time pupil at Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to audition for a new musical. I learnt 'Castle On A Cloud' and over a few months attended 7 auditions at various London theatres for Trevor Nunn, John Caird and at one of the recalls I also remember singing for Sir Peter Hall. I remember this because I always wore some brightly coloured curly ribbons in my hair to auditions, in the hope that Director's might remember me and as I walked onto the stage he said "Ah, yes, Juliette. I remember you because of your lovely ribbons in your hair" - mission accomplished thought my 10 year old self - (though on reflection perhaps my performance should have superseded my hair do!).

It was a thrill to be auditioning for the RSC. It was a thrill to sing on the stage at the New London Theatre where I had seen my first musical Cats and cried at the end, not because I was sad about Grizabella dying, but because I had desperately wanted to be good enough to be in a show like that one day and didn't know if I ever would be.

Without my knowing, at around that time I had been offered a scholarship to attend Redroofs full time by the Principal and Agent June Rose, who believed I had talent and didn't want to let our financial situation prevent me from being able to train. It had taken my poor Mum an anxiety ridden year to decide whether or not she would let me go or insist that I attend main stream education to achieve an academic degree which for some reason she thought I was bright enough to achieve (!). She was a Primary School Teacher and for her it was a tough call. Would I resent her years later for putting a stop to my dreams? Or would I resent her years later for sending me off to be a 'twirly' with little to show for it? She had seen my passion grow and grow, walked back and forth to the record player countless times a day to restart the (now considered old style) 45 records we had so that I could choreograph dances to Elton John and Kiki Dee's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart',  she had witnessed my envy of the pupils who got to dance and sing all day in the TV series Fame, and she had realised my heart was so deeply in it that she had decided to take a leap of faith and trust that it was the right thing to do. She was to let me go to theatre school and I was in heaven.

It didn't take long for a small sign to appear that she had perhaps made the right decision. A letter fell on our doorstep. We read it and I wept with excitement. I had landed my first professional job, it was with the RSC and my poor Mother could breath a brief sigh of relief.

Offer letter from the RSC - 12th July 1985




£7 per rehearsal and £10 per performance would be my pay and I was to be cast as 'Young Eponine', who didn't actually sing (though I would have to cover Cosette) but that was fine by me - I was nervous enough. It was an honour to be part of the production, to be part of the development of such an exciting production and to actually tread the boards of a professional London stage.



Rehearsals at the Barbican were thrilling and to watch the company in action was awe inspiring. I witnessed scenes being rehearsed for hours and hours that never even made it to the final production, closely observing some of UK's finest performers being directed by the genius co-directing team of John Caird (Left) and Trevor Nunn, who together were realising a genre of production that had never been seen before.

Local Press - 1986



The show opened and we felt we had something very special but the critics were less than favourable and despite the ovational audience response we were all nervous as to the future of our beloved production. Would we close? Or would we transfer to the West End?

Princess Diana attended a special Royal Gala performance and we had the pleasure of meeting her at a special reception after the show. She took time to ask us all sorts of questions about being children in a theatre production and how we coped with the late nights etc. She was luminous. I had met a real life Princess. Once she had left, champagne started to be handed out and the cast and crew were looking around, wondering why Diana hadn't been able to enjoy any with us. And then Cameron (Mackintosh), gathered us all, and I can still remember as clear as day how he told us;
"As we know, the critics have given us terrible reviews and our show's future has really been in the balance. But I am delighted to tell you that the great British public LOVE our show and it is the great British public who have decided that this show will not be closing and we will be transferring to the Palace Theatre and Les Miserables will be opening in the West End.". We applauded, we cheered, we embraced and we cried. The future of 'The Glums' was set and not even the critics could stop it.

Barbican Dressing Room
Unlike the children who are now in the show who get whizzed in for rehearsals with the Resident Director and barely know the cast save for the few moments shared on stage, myself and the other 7 kids playing the roles of Cosette, Eponine and Gavroche were really included as part of the family and we have always felt incredibly lucky for that.

Jayne & I in costume at the Palace Theatre













Our chaperone, Ann Koska, went on to become my surrogate Mother and a dear friend to this day as we travelled the world for several years afterwards making films and my Cosette, who I had to push around every night, the very lovely Jayne O'Mahoney, also became a life long friend and was also notably the first person to play both young and adult Cosette roles.

Night after night, watching the incredible talents of Frances Ruffelle, Rebecca Caine, Alun Armstrong, Sue-Jane Tanner, Colm Wilkinson made me realise, I really wanted this more than anything and vowed to work as hard as I could at my full time training so that one day, maybe, I might be able to play a lead role in a West End Musical, just like them.

With Iain Glen in Martin Guere
The incredible aspect to this story is that is exactly what happened. But not just in any old musical. A decade later I was cast in the Original London Cast in the role of Bertrande in Martin Guerre and this production was also to be produced by Cameron Mackintosh.
















Not only that... it was written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg (pictured left) - the same writing team as Les Mis.












Not only that...Bob West (known in the industry as Uncle Bob) was also to be our company manager.














Not only that... Paul Leonard (pictured on the far right) as a Convict in Les Mis was to play the Judge.










And finally, on the first day of rehearsals, who should walk up the stairs into the rehearsal room but Sue-Jane Tanner, my Les Mis Mummy, saying "I'm playing your bloody Mother again!".

I could not believe that the very dream I had set my heart on and worked so hard towards, had come true - I had quite literally 'Dreamed A Dream' and it had all started with Les Mis. The synchronicity felt incredible.

Les Miserables is undoubtedly special to millions of people the world over. The reason why Les Mis is so special to me is because it inspired my training. It changed my world. And over the years it has been the seed of so many magical memories, experiences and relationships. The 25th celebration at the 02 last year was incredibly humbling to be part of, re-united as a company 25 years later. Tonight's performance and celebrations will be just as special. I'm taking my dear Mum. 30 years ago she supported me - and tonight, as we sing One Day More, I shall be singing it for her, to say thank you to her, one more time...


With Ian & Jayne
With Oliver & Jayne



With Rebecca Caine (Original Cosette)
With Patti LuPone (Original Fantine)











Happy Birthday Les Miserables!