Jacob B
Hello, I'm Jacob and I'm playing Thenardier in our upcoming production of Les Mis [School Edition]! I was really excited to hear about it being Les Mis [School Edition], and I was even more excited to be given the role of Thenardier, one of my dream roles! I was really excited this week to get into "The Bargain" during open day, as it allowed me to explore the character and his evil greed and selfishness.
I think I will always remember a moment from that open day rehearsal, as I was exploring the scene and character, I tried interacting with Maisy, the actress playing young Cossette. I caught her off-guard mid scene, and her confusion was the sweetest, funniest thing ever. Also, during that open day rehearsal, I worked a lot on my vocals, going through all of the songs I sing in the musical.
During this rehearsal, it was my first time, outside of the auditions, interacting with Amelie, in character and seeing the two Thenardiers come together and interact was brilliant! I’m really excited to start working on the innkeeper’s song, as it’s truly where the character shines, and I can start to work on the heightened characteristics of Thenardier.
I’ve set a goal for myself to have fun with the character without going too far from the original version, improvising in scenes and trying out new things to truly get the character into a place where I’m really proud to play him.
I’ve been balancing the musical with school work quite well, using free periods and down times in the rehearsals to work on revision for upcoming assessments, and I’ve found this to be a great way to balance the musical with my studies. Rehearsals are a fun place to be, as whilst we work on the musical, we make each other laugh and smile, creating this friendly atmosphere which really makes you feel comfortable and involved in everything that’s going on.
Isabelle C
Hi, I’m Isabelle, and I will be playing the Old Woman in ‘Les Misérables: School Edition’! When I first found out about being cast as this role, I was thrilled. Being involved in the school musical is the highlight of my year, and I couldn’t wait for the process to begin.
On the 17th of October, members of the cast took part in the promo video shoot. Everyone looked incredible in full costume and makeup, and the venue was filled with colour, lights, and excitement. For the shoot, I was asked to step into a different character: one of the Lovely Ladies. Wearing a corset was a whole new experience… sitting down has officially become a new skill!
Later, I was filmed in a dark, alley-style setup with red lighting. It had such a gritty atmosphere and really helped me get into character (though trying not to laugh with the camera so close was definitely a challenge!).
We had a fantastic photographer, Kelly Akers, who made the photoshoots fun and relaxed. One of the best parts was the big group photo, our first proper moment all together in costume. It really made the whole production start to feel real.
One of my favourite moments of the day was getting our hair and makeup done; seeing everyone’s character come to life left me feeling really excited for the show and even luckier to be part of it.
It was an unforgettable experience! I can’t wait to see the finished promo and to welcome everyone to the show in January. Tickets go on sale on the 14th of November - can’t wait to see you there!