Rod Laver Arena

Forget about needing to fly thousands of kilometres to the other side of the world to see Les Miserablés – an epic production of the iconic musical has landed right here in our city, providing the chance to experience the magic of a performance from the crème de la crème of London’s famed West End. Les Miserablés is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a mega arena-sized version of the beloved show, filling Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena with soaring songs for a limited time.  For the uninitiated, Les Miserablés is a musical adaptation of an 1800s novel by Victor Hugo, which was picked up by prolific West End producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh in the 1980s to become the production audiences know and love today. Set in 19th century France, it follows the life of Jean Valjean (played by Alfie Boe and alternate Killian Donnelly), a man striving to build a new life after he’s freed from imprisonment, but who breaks his parole to escape the trappings of a cruel justice system.  An act of pure kindness from a caring bishop (Earl Carpenter) spurs Valjean to transform his life and become a reputable figure, striving to give back to those in need. But the shadow of his past follows him, and he’s constantly evading the pursuit of tyrannous inspector Javert (Michael Ball). Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, the story dips into the lives of a series of characters he encounters, each facing the trials of love and survival. While this summary sounds serious, the story is sung...