I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to see the new production of Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre on the 19th December 2019, after seeing the original version of the production almost 5 years. This is my favourite show of all time, so I was particularly grateful to see it in it’s updated form, which was a very different experience to the original production. Nonetheless, I was still astounded by the costumes and set in the production, and how the whole production worked together.
The protagonist of the musical Jean Valjean goes through a huge character change throughout the piece, which is hugely reflected in his costuming. He appears at first in a dirty convict outfit, that a red jacket is then added to when he is released, to symbolise the pain convict life has caused him and continues to cause as he struggles to find a job or residence. After he becomes the Mayor, he appears in a green jacket, to show his new spirituality and calm nature. It also is completely opposite to the red jacket in terms of its colour, to show his complete flip in personality. Towards the end of the production, he appears back on stage in a brown waistcoat, perhaps to pay homage to his past self, and show his vulnerability as he nears his death similar to his experience as a convict. Valjean’s makeup and hair also shows his ageing throughout the piece, which is subtly conveyed to make it believable to the audience.
Javert is considered the evil of the production, however, I think this portrayal of Javert was by far my favourite I have seen. He wears blue throughout to show his status, as at the time, blue was the colour of nobility and royalty. However, his coat gets longer throughout the production, to show his growth in power, which is also mimicked through the growth in size of his hat. The red feather that at one point also rests in his hat shows his brutality and passion for his work. However, this production was special in that it really helped to show Javert’s descent into madness due to his pursuit of Valjean gradually taking over his entire life. The growing messy nature of his hair shows his unravelling, and by his death he appears haggard like the convicts he tries to hunt, as well as in a brown waistcoat, to show the power flip between him and Valjean. I really enjoyed watching this aspect of Javert be emphasised, as in my opinion, it makes his character more real and developed, and also helps to explain why he lets Valjean go and then commits suicide at the end.
Fantine generally considered the female lead, although she only appears in the first part, and then right at the end of the production. She wears a light blue dress at the start, and her hair is long, blonde and curled, to show her purity and innocence. However, when she is forced to become a whore and sell herself to feed her child, her costume is tattered and her hair is cut short, to show her fall into poverty. Her attire also still has some light blue elements, however they are ripped and dirty to show the destruction of her previous self. However, when she appears again as a spirit at the end, her hair is long again, to show her return to her true self, and she appears in a long, white dress, which is regal and ghost-like especially due to the long train, as she looks as though she is almost floating. It also shows her relationship with her daughter, who also appears in white in this scene. However, one issue I had with Fantine’s final costume was her shoes, as although you couldn’t see them during the actual scene, during the bows, it was made apparent that she was wearing a pair of ballet shoes. Personally, I thought this an odd choice, as in my opinion, ballet shoes do not belong in a production that is a period piece and not a ballet, and I didn’t understand why she was not in a more accurate light coloured shoe or in bare feet, as other actors had appeared in bare feet previously. However, aside from this, I really liked Fantine’s costume for this production, as I thought they conveyed her character well.
Marius and Enjolras are the two most distinguishable students, who appear on the barricades during the second part of the production. Their blue and red costumes, respectively, show their difference in personality, as Marius is much calmer and more serene, whereas Enjolras is much more fiery and passionate. However, the two unite to form the colours of the French flag, to show their united over the same cause, and also to show their strength as a pair. Enjolras’ waistcoat also becomes a brighter red throughout, to show his growing passion and bloodlust as the barricade draws near. All the students and others on the barricade, in fact, have some element of red, to pay homage to the red flag of the students. However, after their deaths, Marius appears in all black to show his mourning and darkness that he is the only one to have survived.
Cosette and Eponine are also an interesting pair to compare in terms of their costumes. Their switch in status is clearly shown when comparing their childhood and adult costumes, as both undergo a huge change in terms of colour and quality of garment. Cosette appears at the start in dark grey, tattered rags, which when she is older, changes to a light green dress that shows her purity and naivety, especially with the full skirt and boat shaped neckline. Later on, she appears in a grey dress with marius, to show that she is growing up, and then at the end she appears in a white wedding dress, which appears quite fussy with the veil, to show her high status, but underneath is more plain and simple to show her existing youth and innocence. One tiny problem that I had with Cosette’s dresses was that they all seemed a little too short, as although garments are sometimes made shorter for musicals so that the actors can move, hers seemed far too short. It also didn’t really appear as a stylistic choice, as although young girls’ dresses around this time may have been shorter, Cosette certainly doesn’t fit into this age bracket, as she is already a young woman by the time she is shown as an adult. Eponine, by contrast, is shown in a huge blue bonnet and pretty dress as a child, however, by adulthood, her costume is ripped and faded to show her family’s decline in society. Her red hat also helps to show her harsh life, as well as the belt that really cinches in her waist and makes her appear very skinny, perhaps suggesting a lack of food. At the end, when she appears as a spirit with Fantine, however, her clothes are not dirty, and they are paired with a longer, lighter coat to show her now spiritual status, and to compliment Fantine’s dress.
The Thernadiers provide the fun and joyful element of the production, which is further conveyed through the difference in their costumes to many of the others seen. Their outfits are very colourful and slightly tacky, which shows their personality perfectly, however, they do tend to change quality throughout the production depending on their financial situation at the time, which to me shows how their entire lives revolve around money.
Finally, it is important to look at the costumes of the ensemble throughout the production, as they are the ones who make the whole production seem real, and help to make the story flow. The soldiers wear red and blue, to not only show their patriotism, but also to show their brutality and high societal position. In contrast, the red hats of the convicts symbolise their own blood, as a result of their harsh lifestyle. The beggars appear onstage in long dark cloaks which make them appear almost scary and threatening, but also doesn’t allow you to really identify them or see their faces, dehumanising them. During this number, there is a change onstage for around half of the beggars, including Fantine, into factory workers, which is done very cleverly through the use of hoods, some of which had false hair also incorporated, to show a complete change in character. The whores appear in very harsh colours, yet their clothing is ragged and dirty to show their position and trade. Some of the women also don’t even have dresses, to further show their trade, and also to show that they are the lowest of the low, and no longer respect societal standards. The beggars in the second part of the show appear in even more tattered clothing, which is less intimidating and instead shows them as desperate instead of just angry, as conditions have worsened. The barricade women are also plainly dressed in darker colours, although are more put together than the beggars, which is quite foreshadowing on the fate of many at the barricade. The same women also appear in all black after the barricade, to show the mourning of the students alongside Marius. Finally, at the wedding, many appear in bright colours and large dresses, which really shows the contrast between the upper and lower class, as this is really the only colour seen throughout the show. However, it is almost overpowering, which is quite telling of how the rich would have acted at the time, with almost too much luxury.
Overall, I really enjoyed this production, as it was nice to see a new take on such a classic show. The way that the costumes complimented the new set and projected backdrops was seamless, and it was also interesting how the actors appeared onstage with no makeup aside from to age characters or for certain characters (eg: the whores), as their facial features and expressions could still be seen very clearly due to a clever lighting set. I also thought the costume changes on and off stage were very cleverly done, as many were extremely fast, but were carried out without the audience knowing any difference. It was also interesting to see how some of the principal actors such as Marius, Cosette, Eponine and Fantine fit seamlessly into the ensemble during their time offstage, but were unrecognizable as themselves due to clever wigs, hats and costumes. Finally, it was interesting to see this production in comparison to the old version, as some costumes changed dramatically, such as Cosette and the whores, however some remained almost identical such as Eponine, Enjolras and the convicts. I liked this take as it combined the old and new perfectly, and made the production new and exciting whilst also maintaining some of the traditions of the original. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and will definitely use what I saw as inspiration moving forwards into my career.
Comments