View From The Green Room: DLS’s Blockbuster ‘Les Mis’ is a hit in Waterford

De La Salle College: Les Misérables 

The opening four bars of 'Bom-Bom Dan-de-Dan' tell you everything you need to know about De La Salle College’s Les Mis. 

Expect drama and suspense in big dollops that will never stop until it does because this is edge-of-the-seat theatre.

It’s easy to see why this is such a popular musical with Waterford audiences. 

It’s an epic tale that has everything that belongs to this genre…drama, conflict, tragedy, comedy, heroes, heroines and villains.

And all on an epic scale that sweeps over a generation of revolution that includes street battles and last-minute daring rescues.

Characters are compelling. Fred Kennedy is the sensitive convict-on-the-run, Jean Valjean whose selfless love inspires the drama.

Fred’s ‘Bring Him Home’ literally stopped the show. 

This is the love that keeps giving and which leads him into conflict with gritty, determined, Inspector Javert who pursues him with a vengeance. 

Max Philpott is a single-minded Javert and cold aloofness separates him from his fellows. 

This is a difficult singing role as the base baritone doesn’t lie easily on a young voice. 

However, Max’s singing is a delight and his solos are full of drama.

Mary Duggan (who alternates with Caoimhe Scanlon) is a powerful Fantine whose struggle to support her young daughter Cosette (Tilly Colclough) is the inciting action in the drama. Her ‘I dreamed a Dream’ is a moving monologue of despair. 

Ana Strappe’s musical soprano is just right for the part of the adult Cosette; excellent Sam Marsden is the handsome and believable Marius who falls in love with her, and their duet is a highlight. Bronagh Steenson’s, 'Eponine' is gritty and edgy and ‘On My Own’ is another showstopper.

Luke Brown is a revelation as Enjolras, whose revolutionary zeal would scale walls and I loved his ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’, which was first sung in Waterford by Luke’s granddad Denny Corcoran. 

Charles Ware breaks hearts as young and courageous child Gavroche, whose death on the barricades is greeted in the hall with silence.

The Thernadiers are a hoot. Cian Kennedy delights as the conniving, slippery and somewhat evil Master of the House, who dominates the stage whenever he enters. Chloe Byrne is more than able for him as his long-suffering, her-indoors, who has learned the hard way that some marriages are not made in heaven.

Where did Director Jack Cunnigham, Musical Director Lynsey Penkert and Choreographer Jenni White find all these young stars? 

Not only does everyone onstage seem to be able to sing, act and dance, but they bring passion to their performances.

The cast work their socks off all night to bring us a sea of humanity. 

Chain gang prisoners, soldiers, students, prostitutes, factory workers, revolutionaries… they’re all there before us, living and breathing.

Thernardier’s, ‘Master of the House’ is a tavern of filth, poverty and low-life. 

You could almost smell it! The chain gang is the same.

The barricade scenes are powerful and student idealism anchors the sense of wrong in post-Napoleonic Paris. 

The power of the chorus in ‘One Day More’ is epic and booms around the school hall.

Stage Manager Dylan Lawrence works the massive Eventbrite set well and Empire Group’s lighting design keeps the show moving, although too much action takes place on the floor making sightlines difficult and sometimes impossible. 

Teams for wardrobe and hair and make-up are managed by Rita Drohan and June Kennedy and give a stamp of authenticity to grim and grimy 1832 Paris.

This is De La Salle College’s second show this year and follows on from the wonderful 'Little Shop of Horrors' in spring. DLS is on a roll.

Les Mis is a blockbuster!