Earl Carpenter: “It would be great to see LES MISÉRABLES back in its full glory”

LES MISÉRABLES is the longest running musical in London. It has been more than 23 years since it opened in the Barbican Theatre, where it has an incredible success and on December 4th of the same year, the production opened at the Palace Theatre. Since then, it has been translated to 21 languages and it has opened in 223 cities all around the world. LES MISÉRABLES keeps on causing commotion to the audience at the London’s Queens Theatre.

Earl Carpenter is currently performing one of the most emblematic characters of the Show, Javert. Carpenter has starred in West End musicals as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK or THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. He tells us more details about his performing in this mythical musical.

AT BEGINING OF OCTOBER ALL LES MISÉRABLES CAST CELEBRATED THE 23TH BIRTHDAY OF THE SHOW. HOW WAS THAT NIGHT?
It was a pleasure to be able to celebrate this achievement with this great company. Also to have performed in front of Sir Trevor Nunn and other original creative team members was also a great opportunity.

AT PRESENT, NOT SO MANY MUSICALS ARE ABLE TO STAY IN A THEATRE FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AS LES MISÉRABLES. WHY DO YOU THINK LES MISÉRABLES IS STILL “ALIVE”?
I think it’s because of its story telling. There aren’t many musicals that can boast a strong storyline and a storyline that sees so many characters interact as the story progresses. Its visual strengths are also second to none as it’s the ‘black box’ design where lighting and only key elements of scenery allow the actors to take the audience on that journey for three hours.

YOU JOINED LES MISÉRABLES CAST LAST JUNE. WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU COMING BACK TO LES MIZ?
It’s always a delight when you get offered any job but LES MISÉRABLES has a different appeal for me. It was my first West End job back in 1996, I’ve produced five large concert performances of the piece and have been involved in some very special events of this piece, the best being a specially devised presentation performed in front of the Queen and other international dignitaries and Windsor Castle.

JAVERT SINGS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SONGS OF THE SHOW, “STARS”. DO YOU SPECIALLY ENJOY THAT MOMENT OF THE SHOW OR THERE IS ANY OTHER SONG DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?
It’s a hard song to sing. It’s a very familiar song so you have approach it in a way that it tells Javert’s commitment to catching Valjean without spoiling peoples enjoyment of it.

YOU WERE IN LES MISÉRABLES IN 1996 AS COURFEYRAC. THE SHOW WAS THEN IN PALACE THEATRE. HOW HAS EVOLVED THE MUSICAL ALL THESE YEARS? WHICH ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCE AMONG THE SHOW STAGED AT THE PALACE AND THE ONE AT THE QUEENS THEATRE?
The obvious difference is that it’s now 30 minutes shorter and a bit smaller. I do miss the Palace and I miss the epic element of it’s length. It would be great to see it back in it’s full glory.

JAVERT REPRESENTS A PUNITIVE, VENGEFUL FORM OF JUSTICE. WHY DO YOU THINK HE ACTS THE WAY HE DOES AGAINST JEAN VALJEAN? DO YOU UNDERSTAND HIS REASONS TO ACT THIS WAY?
He’s not vengeful, he’s purely acting out what he believes his responsibility is. Valjean escaped parole and it’s his duty to bring him to justice!!

APART FROM YOU, THERE ARE A LOT OF ACTORS THAT HAVE PERFORMED JAVERT IN LES MISÉRABLES, SUCH AS PHILLIP QUAST, ROGER ALLAM, TERRENCE MANN... WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
I haven’t seen anyone except Michael McCarthy play Javert (he was our Javert in 1996). I always had an exceptional amount of respect for Michael both as a person and an actor and I thoroughly enjoyed his interpretation and attitude. I also thought that I would ‘love’ to play this role one day.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTER?
I hope that I bring 18 years of musical theatre experience to the role. As I also hope that I’m true to the necessity to tell a good story, other than that I can only hope people like what I do.

Drew Sarich as Jean Valjean and Earl Carpenter as Javert in LES MISÉRABLES

YOU’RE ONE OF THE PERFORMERS OF ENCORE! A SHOW THAT BRINGS THE WEST END OUT OF LONDON. HOW ARE THESE CONCERTS? WHAT KIND OF SONGS ARE PERFORMED?
I’m currently in Dubai doing ENCORE as I’m answering these questions. ENCORE is about bringing a taste of London’s West End musicals a little closer and to places that musicals tend not to go to. I pick five top West End singers and musicians to perform songs sung by the roles they have performed over the years. It makes for a very legitimate and exclusive evening of entertainment.

JUST BEFORE RETURNING TO LES MISÉRABLES, YOU WERE IN ZORRO-THE MUSICAL, AS DON ALEJANDRO DE LA VEGA. COULD YOU TELL US HOW IT WAS WORKING IN THIS NEW MUSICAL?
Loved it, sword fighting, gypsy king musical, flemnco dancing…..what fun. It’s always great fun and hard work creating a devising a new piece. ZORRO was very different from the job I had done prior to that which was playing the Phantom so on may levels it was a great job to have been involved with.