Opera star Alfie Boe, one of the stars of the recent Les Miserables concerts at the O2 Arena will revisit the role of Jean Valjean in the West End next year.
The Daily Mail has reported that Alfie Boe will take over the role at the Queen's theatre "in early June for a six-month run". Producer Cameron Mackintosh has also hinted that the opera star will also play the role in a forthcoming film adaptation of Les Miserables.
Cameron Mackintosh said, "Alfie was a revelation in the O2 concert and I believe he has the kind of sound we’ll need for the movie. What doesn’t work is shrieking theatre voices… The strength of Jean Valjean comes through the fitness of his voice. It’s thrilling and incredibly powerful."
Alfie Boe, who became a professional singer after being overheard singing while cleaning a car, won a Tony Award for his performance in Baz Lurhmann's Broadway production of La Boheme in 2006. Boe’s other credits include Kismet, The Merry Widow and The Pearl Fishers for English National Opera.
After its premiere at the Barbican in 1985, Cameron Mackintosh brought the Royal Shakespeare Company production, which was adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, to the West End’s Palace Theatre where it ran for 18 years and over 7,500 performances before moving to the Queen’s Theatre on 3 April 2004 where it has remained since.