Empty chairs at empty tables… but full houses…
Cameron Mackintosh and Music Theatre International have today announced LET THE PEOPLE SING, a UK-wide amateur theatre project celebrating the 40th anniversary of Boublil and Schönberg’s worldwide phenomenon, Les Misérables, throughout 2025.
Cameron Mackintosh:
“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.”
The project, which runs from March 2025 to August 2025, will see 11 community-wide productions of Les Misérables: Let The People Sing being mounted in cities across the United Kingdom. The show, which has never previously been made available to amateur groups in the UK whilst it continues to play to packed houses in London’s West End, will be staged in: Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Norwich, Porthcurno (Cornwall) and Swansea.
Sean Gray, Managing Director of MTI’s London office:
“MTI cherishes our amateur theatre companies. They bring our musicals to the whole country, including to towns and areas not regularly visited by national touring productions. They nurture and develop talent in a unique and invaluable way, as well as providing opportunities for everyone who loves performing and making theatre to be a part of productions on all the country’s stages. Many of the great shows live on in amateur productions, often decades after their initial productions in the West End or on Broadway.”
Uniquely, 11 amateur societies will act as lead producers in each venue but will work with other local groups in a collaborative manner to produce the best possible community-wide productions of the show. Groups will also have the support and guidance of the show’s West End and international associate creative teams as they prepare their non-replica, original productions of the show.
Casting for all 11 productions will be via open casting calls, details of which will be released at local level in due course.
The critically acclaimed production of Les Misérables continues to play at the Sondheim Theatre, celebrating its 39th revolutionary year, and several other local language productions around the world.
Cameron Mackintosh:
“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!”
