Let the People Sing: Les Misérables community project
A special way to celebrate Les Misérables 40th anniversary
Cameron Mackintosh and Music Theatre International (MTI) have announced Let the People Sing, a UK-wide amateur theatre project to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Boublil and Schönberg's musical phenomenon Les Misérables.
The project will run from March to August 2025. It will feature 11 community-wide productions of Les Misérables: Let the People Sing across the United Kingdom. While Les Misérables successfully runs with packed houses at the West End, it has never been previously made available to amateur groups. As a part of the 40th anniversary, it will be staged by amateur groups in Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Norwich, Porthcurno (Cornwall) and Swansea.
All 11 amateur societies will act as lead producers in their venue but will collaborate with other local groups to produce a community-wide production of the show. Groups will also have the support and guidance of the West End and international associate creative teams to prepare their non-replica, original productions of the show.
Open casting for all 11 productions will be announced later locally.
Cameron Mackintosh said: “The phenomenon of Les Misérables continues to break new ground, just as Victor Hugo’s novel has since it was first published in 1862.
“The world’s longest running musical was first made available to students under 19 (in an edited schools' edition) in 2002, to mark the bicentennial of Victor Hugo’s birth.
“As we approach the extraordinary landmark of the 40th record-breaking year of the iconic musical’s London run, alongside countless productions around the world, we are delighted to invite 11 of our leading amateur companies in the UK to stage, for the first time, the entire show in their own productions. This will involve many hundreds of amateur performers around the country, becoming part of our own yearlong celebrations.
“The success of this much-loved musical was famously made by the public - not the early critics - so what better way to enjoy this unprecedented event, than Let the People Sing!”
Dates of the local productions:
Grand Opera House Belfast from 4 to 8 March 2025
Grand Theatre Leeds from 3 to 12 April 2025
King’s Theatre Glasgow from 23 to 27 April 2025
Minack Theatre Porthcurno from 25 to 30 May 2025
Theatre Royal Nottingham from 27 to 31 May 2025
Alexandra Birmingham from 10 to 14 June 2025
Norwich Theatre Royal from 2 to 6 July 2025
Liverpool Empire from 3 to 5 July 2025
Grand Theatre Swansea from 10 to 19 July 2025
Bristol Hippodrome from 12 to 16 August 2025
Theatre Royal Brighton from 13 to 23 August 2025
