Faith and the enduring power of Les Misérables at 40

Writer Jenny Sanders celebrates the 40th anniversary of Les Misérables, reflecting on its timeless themes of grace, redemption, and the enduring power of God’s love.

The famous musical created by two Frenchmen, Alain Boubil & Claude-Michel Schönberg is 40 this year.  First performed at the Barbican in 1985 and directed by Trevor Nunn of RSC fame, the first reviews weren’t promising but demand for tickets went through the roof as word-of-mouth recommendations circulated. I watched a pre-tour version of it in Belfast last year with Michael Ball and Alfie Bow as protagonists; it was as impactful and mesmerising as ever.

Based on Victor Hugo’s novel, it’s a story of legalism and grace played out in 19th century France, focusing on the grim legalistic policeman, Javert, and the ex-prisoner, Jean Valjean, who finds grace from a priest in a dark hour and uses his life to live it out, taking the newly orphaned Cosette under his paternal wing.  Underworld characters provide comic relief in the form of the Thénadiers, while a student revolution gains traction amidst the starving of Paris and is given pathos by young Gavroche, and the unrequited love of Éponine for Marius who has fallen for the now grown up Cosette.