Cameron Mackintosh has announced that his record-breaking new production of the World’s Longest Running Musical LES MISÉRABLES will play the Barbican Theatre in London (where it originally premiered in 1985) as part of the show’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. LES MISÉRABLES will run for 22 performances only between 14 September - 2 October 2010 and tickets go on sale Tuesday 16 March. This will be the first time anywhere in the world that two productions of the same musical are playing in the same city.

This exciting new production opened in Cardiff in December 2009 to sell out business and rave reviews and has gone on to break box office records in Manchester, Norwich and Birmingham. Future dates in Edinburgh, Paris, Bristol, Salford and Southampton are also almost sold-out prior to this celebratory season at the Barbican in September.

This production has new direction and spectacular new designs inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, and stars John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean), Madalena Alberto (Fantine), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Gareth Gates (Marius), Katie Hall (Cosette), Rosalind James (Eponine), Lynne Wilmott (Mdme. Thenardier), Ashley Artus (M. Thenardier) and Jon Robyns (Enjolras). A live cast recording of this production is due for release after Easter.

LES MISÉRABLES originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre in October 1985 directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.  It transferred to the Palace Theatre on 4 December 1985 and moved to its current home at the Queen’s Theatre on 3 April 2004 where it continues to play to packed houses and is booking through 2011.  In October 2006 “LES MISÉRABLES” took over the title of World’s Longest Running Musical from CATS, another Cameron Mackintosh production.

The magnificent score of “LES MISÉRABLES” includes the songs, "I Dreamed a Dream", "On My Own", "Stars", "Bring Him Home", "Do You Hear the People Sing?", "One Day More", "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", "Master Of The House" and many more.

Seen by over 56 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the most popular musicals of all time, with new productions continually opening around the globe.  There have been 34 cast recordings of LES MISÉRABLES, including the multi-platinum London cast recording and the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums.  The video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall Gala Concert has sold millions of copies worldwide.  There are over 2.000 productions of the Les Misérables School’s Edition scheduled or being performed by over 100.000 school children in the UK, US and Australia, making it the most successful musical ever produced in schools.  

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of LES MISÉRABLES is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, adapted by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, with additional material by James Fenton.

This new production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.  Original costumes by Andreane Neofitou, additional costumes by Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Mick Potter.