KILLIAN DONNELLY Returns to LES MISÉRABLES for 15 Weeks Only
by Best of Theatre Staff on Thursday 12 October 2023, 9:16 am in Cast Changes and Announcements
Cameron Mackintosh announced today that Killian Donnelly will return to LES MISÉRABLES as Jean Valjean in the critically acclaimed production at the Sondheim Theatre from Tuesday 31 October 2023 for 15 weeks only.
Due to sudden family reasons, Josh Piterman, who is currently playing the role, will return home to Australia. His final performances will take place on Saturday 21 October 2023.
Killian Donnelly returns to the role having previously played Jean Valjean to critical acclaim in both the original West End production and the sell-out UK and Ireland tour of Les Misérables. This will be his first time playing the role in the new London production at the Sondheim Theatre. Killian was most recently seen as ‘Bruce Bechdel’ in Fun Home at Gate Theatre, Dublin. His other theatre credits include the role of ‘The Phantom’ in The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, ‘Charlie Price’ in Kinky Boots on Broadway, a role he originated at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2015, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award, ‘Huey’ in the original London cast of Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre for which he was also nominated for an Olivier Award. He created the role of ‘Deco’ in The Commitments at the Palace Theatre and has also played ‘Tony’ in Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre as well as ‘Raoul’ in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. He first joined the company of Les Misérables in 2008, going on to play the role of ‘Enjolras’ from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he played the role of ‘Courfeyrac’ in the “25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables” at The O2 Arena and also played the role of ‘Combeferre’ in the multi-award-winning film of the show, released in 2012.
LES MISÉRABLES currently stars Stewart Clarke as Javert, Katie Hall as Fantine, Will Callan as Marius, Amena El-Kindy as Éponine, Lulu-Mae Pears as Cosette, Luke Kempner as Thénardier, Claire Machin as Madame Thénardier and Djavan van de Fliert as Enjolras.
The company is completed by Annabelle Aquino, Hazel Baldwin, Brad Barnley, Michael Baxter, Emily Olive Boyd, Rosy Church, Ben Culleton, Matthew Dale, Matt Dempsey, Sophie-May Feek, Matt Hayden, Tom Hext, Christopher Jacobsen, Jessica Johns-Parsons, Yazmin King, Sam Kipling, Anouk van Laake, Harry Lake, Sarah Lark, Ellie Ann Lowe, Ben Oatley, Adam Pearce, Jordan Simon Pollard, Jonathan Stevens, Phoebe Williams and Ollie Wray.
Since Cameron Mackintosh first conceived this acclaimed new production of LES MISÉRABLES in 2009, to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, it has taken the world by storm. The UK and Ireland tour recently concluded its acclaimed run and the record-breaking tour of North America relaunched in 2022. A new tour of The Netherlands and Belgium opened in March this year in Amsterdam, and the new Korean production opens this month in Busan, followed by performances in Seoul and Deagu. The world tour of Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular, an expanded version of the hugely successful Les Misérables - The Staged Concert, will open at the SSE Arena Belfast on 19 September 2024. Initial dates and venues were announced earlier this week and the production goes on general sale Thursday 12th October. Following this, the Japanese production of Les Misérables will open at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo in December 2024.
Boublil and Schönberg’s magnificent iconic score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic 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. Several of its songs have become real life anthems of revolution wherever in the world people are fighting for their freedom. Seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 53 countries and in 22 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular and contemporary musicals.
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, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker with original orchestrations by John Cameron. The production is directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou, Christine Rowland and Paul Wills, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, projections realised by Finn Ross & Fifty Nine Productions, musical staging by Geoffrey Garratt, and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Alfonso Casado Trigo.