Les Miserables

One of the greatest stories ever put to music has become even stronger under the tutelage of Sir Cameron Mackintosh, whose revamped production of Les Misérables takes the epic tale to a whole new level. There's a fantastic new set (expansive but economical), subtle computer animation, a reworked score and even an edgier slant to the script (presumably to keep up with ever-evolving community standards), but at the end of the day the production is (as ever) a triumph because of Victor Hugo's amazing tangled web expose of the human condition.

The strength of the Les Mis narrative lies in the decades-long (albeit distant) relationship between the noble Jean Valjean (Simon Gleeson) and his eternal antagonist Javert (Hayden Tee), whose black-and-white worldview is the chief source of his prey's lifelong anguish. But while these roles are handled with aplomb, it's the secondary portrayals such as those by Lara Mulcahy (Madam Thénardier), Kerrie Anne Greenland (Eponine) and Euan Doidge (Marius) which really make this a world class production.

The saga touches upon so many facets of humanity — justice, compassion, fate, class division, unrequited love, the futility of idealism and ultimately redemption — and no musical has a better batch of songs with which to bring these conceits to life. An absolute must-see.