This week the Musical Youth Company of Oxford are presenting Les Miserables in Headington, Oxford. The show is being directed by a good friend of mine, Edward Blagrove – and I’ve had the privilege over the past couple of months to take photos of the rehearsals leading up to show week – and I could see this was going to be a special one!
I must confess, when Clare and I went to the cinema to watch the film Les Miserables, I did lean over and ask ninety seconds in… “is this a musical?”. I don’t think I’d seen or heard very much of the show at all before the film – but at least I knew what to expect when I was asked to photograph this one! Ed’s rendition of this piece of musical theatre is simply fantastic – having directed Clare as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, I knew Ed would give this performance the atmosphere, emotion and power that the story caries. If you’ve bought your tickets for this week, you’re in for a real treat.
What really makes the show is the passion the cast have for theatre – you can see how much MYCO enjoy what they do, and as a result their performances are nothing short of exceptional. Arran Johnson, who I’ve photographed before in performances of Oklahoma! and Guys and Dolls – plays Jean Valjean here in Les Mis; his performance carries so much emotion. I often found myself sat there just watching, rather than taking photos. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the cast members in the shots below on the West End in years to come – they are that good.
Well done to all involved in the production – for those of you with tickets for this week, enjoy every second.
Here’s a small selection of photos from the final dress rehearsal last night.
by Andrew