OSCA presents Les Miserables

The streets of Paris, 1832. Poverty, politics, prostitution. Trying to recreate these scenes in Scotch College’s Geoffrey McComas Theatre, in tree-lined Hawthorn, is no mean feat. But, after making an ambitious choice for their first theatre production, the Old Scotch Collegians’ Association has done it with ease. And boy, are the punters glad! Les Misérables, the longest running West End musical in history, balances raucous show tunes with poignant solos, and boasts a colourful cast of characters. Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, which swings from retribution to redemption to a revolution, the show has always been a crowd-pleaser. For a week in October, the hard work of director Alan Burrows (whose career in theatre spans over forty years) and music director John Ferguson (currently the Director of Music at Scotch College), could be seen on the stage in the James Forbes Academy. The cast – a combination of old Scotch boys, current students, and performers from a varied range of theatre backgrounds – were expressive, impressive, and most importantly, in tune. Jon Ricketson, as the antagonist police officer Javert, commanded attention every time he strode onto the stage. Ricketson’s vocal control was as unyielding as his tightly buttoned black coat. Gérard Schneider brought a brooding intensity to the role of prisoner 24601, the show’s protagonist Jean Valjean. The twenty-year-old’s maturity and conviction belied his age, and his characterisation was watertight. Schneider’s impressive theatre credentials and natural vocal ability suggest a long and prosperous career treading the boards. Particularly joyous were the musical numbers that involved the whole cast. This is where the energy was at its highest and the impeccably crafted costumes were paraded in style. The cast’s rendition of ‘Master of the House,’ lead by the wonderfully crude Thénardiers (Michael Waugh and Penny Valk), had the crowd hooting with laughter. Equally engaging was the delightful ‘Little People,’ which placed tiny Gavroche (Ned Schloeffel/Tristan Burns) firmly in the spotlight. In more melancholy moments, such as Javert’s suicide and the deaths of the revolutionaries, the audience’s silence was palpable. The impact of these scenes owed as much to the thoughtful, measured acting as to the sensitive direction they were obviously given in the rehearsal period. This created a concentrated pathos that is not always easily achievable in a large theatre space. Considering this was an amateur production, the quality of the set and lighting was astonishing. Ben Shearer should be commended for his set design, as should John Colvin for his role as technical director, and Christine Shearer who acted as the stage manager for the first time in her varied career in theatre. At the end of the day, this production left you feeling anything but miserable. -Hanna Colman