West End actor Killian Donnelly is returning to Les Miserables later this month, playing Jean Valjean.
He will be covering for current Jean Valjean, Josh Piterman, who is having to return to Australia.
Piterman’s last performance will be on 21 October 2023, with Donnelly then playing the role from 31 October 2023 for 15 weeks. Josh is expected to return to the show in February 2024,
A statement on behalf of producer Cameron Mackintosh said that Piterman is having to return to Australia for “sudden family reasons”.
The show also 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.
Killian Donnelly returns to Les Mis having played Jean Valjean in the original West End production and the sell-out UK and Ireland tour of Les Misérables. He first joined the company of Les Misérables in 2008, going on to play the role of ‘Enjolras’ from 2009 to 2011. He also played ‘Courfeyrac’ in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at The O2 Arena.
Killian was most recently seen as ‘Bruce Bechdel’ in Fun Home at Gate Theatre Dublin, and other credits include playing ‘The Phantom’ in The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, ‘Charlie Price’ in Kinky Boots on Broadway and in the West End, ‘Huey’ in Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre, ‘Deco’ in The Commitments at the Palace Theatre and ‘Tony’ in Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
Les Miserables recently extended its run in London, and is now booking to September 2024. It is London’s – and the world’s – longest-running musical, and will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025.
Earlier this week, the initial dates and venues were announced for Mackintosh’s new Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular world tour, which will see a new version of the show travel to arenas and large theatres in the UK and Europe.
The musical is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, with 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.
Book tickets to Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre in London
Sondheim Theatre, London
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