WRITING STYLE 2

Les Miserables

On arriving at the theatre, the excitement is already whiling up in me to the point that I feel the anticipation of what’s to come. We entre with the crowd huddled together all making comments about what to expect .Over head the theme from the musical is being piped through to set the mood. I am caught ear wigging to the conversation of what people around me are talking about. They seem to be as excited as me. One couple mention that they have seen Les Mis, five times, and it still has the same effect as if they had seeing it for the first time.

As for me, I am excited but there is a tinge of sadness as this story was told to me by my late granddad who loved the story by Victor Hugo. My mum had always intended to take him to see the musical but unfortunately he never got the chance to go as his health deteriorated, and he past away before he could go.

We are shown to our seats, and it’s comfortable and there is enough leg room. The orchestra are tuning there instrument and suddenly the lights dims and the atmosphere changes. The curtain goes up and the whole place is deafeningly quite. My heart slows and I hold my breath. The orchestra open with a rapturous overture of the chain gang with Valjean and a back drop of the year set in 1815, Toulon. ‘’LOOK DOWN, LOOK DOWN’’ the prisoner sing as Javert the prison officer lets Valjean on parole, but reminds him not to forget that he is’’ prison 24601’’ and he has to carry a yellow ticket of leave which is a stigma what warns others that he has been in prison and his song of feeling the wind in his face and having to stand there and have Javert tell him that he is less then human breaks your heart the music slows down to Valjean stating how the law has robbed him of 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Tears weal up and I turn to see the audience are the same state as me. The stage, like magic, suddenly has a cast of 15 on a rotating part, and the scene is set for the field work where Valjean works and is not paid like the others, and is sacked. You feel the injustice. As he sing ‘’ you feel like dirt beneath their feet’’. Despondent he meets Bishop Digne who treats him with kindness by offering him food and a place to rest. He waits for them all to fall asleep and flees with the silver but is arrested and brought back to the bishop, who promptly vouches for him but tells him to remember to use this silver to become an honest man as he has brought his soul for God. The music and the words, makes you think about the injustice of life in those days, and how betrayed and embittered Valjean feels.

Valjean breaks his parole and goes on the run to Montreuil-sur-Mer. He has worked and now owns a factory and became Mayor. Outside a factory, the poor workers sing, ‘’at the end of the day’’, a crescendo of voices expressing their distain of working for nothing. A factory girl provokes a fight with Fantine who has just been, found to have an illiterate daughter. She is given the sack and recalls what life was like. Her powerful voice of ‘’I dreamed a dream,’’ runs shivers down my spine. In desperation Fantine sells her hair and locket and becomes a prostitute to be able to send money for her daughter. She becomes ill and ends up in front of Javert the police officer because she refused to allow a man to porn on her’’ like a piece of meat.’’ Valjean comes to her rescue and takes her to hospital. Suddenly a runaway cart crashes down the street. The Mayor rescues a man pinned under the cart. This triggers memory for Javert who suspect Valjean, but is then reminded that they have caught him. Not being able to live with injustice, in the court, Valjean reveals his true name and past record. ‘’ who am I,’’ a song of power that he knows who he is and ends in Am Jean Valjean. He tells them they know where to find him and he goes to see Fantine. The dying Fantine dreams of Cosette. At this point I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the theatre. Valjean makes a promise that he would look after cosette, as a dying Fantine ask that he ‘’ take my child I give her to your keeping.’’ Valjean fells Jevert and fells to rescue Cosette. The inn at montfermeil we see Cosette Ragged and forlorn. Little Cosette sings ‘’Castle on a cloud’’ The only way she can escape the hardship she faces. The sadness is suddenly turned to comedy as madam Thenardier who is harsh in a comic sort of way send poor Cosette to fetch water. The next scene is more humorous with the Thenardier [a crooked couple] sing ‘’ master of the house,’’ The whole place raw with laughter. Valjean buys off the Thenardiers. Valjean and Cosette leave for Paris. The mood changes and we are transported to 10years forward. Enjolras and Marius [student] are dismayed by the poverty around them. Javert, ‘’those who fall must pay the price’’ is still on Valjean trail.

The café of the revolutionary students- the ABC friends, you feel there passion for justice. It is at this point that we learn that Marius has meet and fallen for Cosette. The revolutionary is well under way and this meeting gets the audience wanting to march with them, ‘’Red & Black ‘’ the chores of student march forward and backwards [on the spot]’’ Do you hear the people sing .‘’ By this point the music makes you want to get out of you seat and stand with them. The garden of Val jean’s house we see cosette who is in love with Marius and Eponine who secretly loves Marius. [A heart full of love ] bring a tender side to an uncertain future. The Thenardier and their street gang set upon Valjean and Cosette. They are rescued by Javert who does not recognise them until it is too late. Convinced it was Javert who has been watching them, Valjean tells Cosette that they must leave the country. ‘’ One day more.’’ The whole company sings and it’s inspirational and deeply moving. The cast are given a standing ovation as the curtain comes down for act 1.

Act 2. The students build a barricade in the streets. The show is amazing with the mechanics of rotating floor and how everything fits together to look realistic. Eponine walks the street of Paris, Feeling alone ‘’On my own’’ my skin tingles. The word’s of the song is so beautiful. She then decides to join Marius at the barricades, the revolutionary students prepare for battle, it is then that Javert is exposed as a spy by Gavroche sing, ‘’Little people.’’ Eponine is shot trying to get to Marius and she dies in his arms. This is truly moving. Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius. He asks to be given the task of killing Javert but lets him go. During the night , Valjean prays to God to Save Marius, ’’Bring him home’’ as he can see what a hopeless case this is as ammunition are running low and we see the rebels’ having one last drink ‘’Drink with me.’’ as they know they are going to their death at dawn. We feel their struggle and the hopelessness of it as you see the body’s spooled on the barricades. Valjean escapes down the sewers with Marius who is unconscious. He is pursued by Javert. Valjean begs him to let him take Marius to hospital. Javert relents but his principles of justice having been shattered by Valjean kill him by throwing himself into the river. Marius sing ‘’Empty chairs at empty tables. The tears run freely as I look around, you see the sadness on everyone’s faces. Unable to face Cosette, Valjean decides he must disappear. After the sadness we welcome a little light comedy performed by the Thenardier at the wedding of Cosette and Marius, who are trying to blackmail Marius by saying that Cosette’s father is a murderer. As proof they show him a ring which they took from a corpse during the night the barricades fell. It is then that Marius realises that it was Valjean who rescued him. Marius and Cosette go to Valjean. It is then that Valjean tells her about her history ‘’I will explain, I will write my last confession. Read it well, at last when I am sleeping. It’s a story of those who always loved you. Your mother gave her life for you and gave you to my keeping’’. Then we see the ghosted of Fantine talking to Valjean, ‘’Come with me where chains will never bind you, for your grief at last at last behind you.’’ Then he dies. His spirit is joined by Eponine, and all who died on the barricade. The standing ovation is not enough to express the wonderment of what had just taken place. Every song was a showstopper. I was mesmerised by the gritty performances. All I know is that my granddad would have loved this.