Review: Les Miserables School Edition, Northern Musical Theatre Company Youth Section, Grand Opera House, York, until July 7 (From York Press)

Review: Les Miserables School Edition, Northern Musical Theatre Company Youth Section, Grand Opera House, York, until July 7

11:50am Thursday 5th July 2007 in

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THIS show is hot property, and so plenty of societies had their eye on securing the rights to the York premiere of the School Edition of Les Miserables.

In the end, Bev Jones's 40 years of experience counted in his favour, and Josef Weinberger, of London, allocated the Boublil and Schonberg musical to his new company of all the talents, Northern Musical Theatre Company.

Or, rather, the Youth Section of Jones's troupe because Les Miserables School Edition must be performed entirely by students, no older than 19 at the start of rehearsals.

Given the austere, adult nature of Victor Hugo's source novel set at the cusp of the French Revolution, and the epic scale of so many of the songs too, this relentless musical drama might seem a steep challenge for young voices. Yet Bev Jones was struck at auditions by how everyone knew those songs so well.

Jones has drawn together a cast of 55 from across North, East and West Yorkshire, plus a resolute orchestra, and their commitment to raising the roof matches the zeal of those revolutionaries mounting their barricades in Paris.

Technical rough edges did trouble Tuesday's opening show, when squeaking wheels behind curtains were off-putting, but nothing can stand in the way of the passionate solo and ensemble performances.

Hull College student Alistair Barron, 18, overcomes the early distractions of a mad comedy beard, a too small top hat and a dry throat to invest highly emotional drama in Jean Valjean, and his rendition of his favourite song, Bring Him Home, brings the house down.

Stephanie James's Fantine takes the early singing honours with I Dreamed A Dream; Sam Coulson's baritone has developed a new richness for his hearty role as Enjolras; Iain Harvey's Javert sings consistently well as the villain of the piece; Harriet Hare's Cosette, Will Gosnold's Marius and Emma Mill's Eponine excel in A Heart Full Of Love.

Mill's tragic Eponine opens the second half on a high with her beautiful rendition of On My Own; Gosnold finds a moving stillness in Empty Chairs At Empty Tables; and there are colourful turns from Michael Tattersall's Thenardier and Sophie Young's Madame Thenardier in the vaudeville number Master Of The House and from Sam Jefferies's Cockney little lad Gavroche.

A rousing start for Jones's youngbloods.

Box office: 0870 606 3595.