Initial Casting Announced for the The World Tour of Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular

Cameron Mackintosh, in association with Nick Grace Management, is delighted to announce that Alfie Boe and Killian Donnelly will share the role of Jean Valjean and Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden will share the role of Javert in the UK, leading a cast and orchestra of over 65 in the forthcoming World Tour of LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR opening at the SSE Arena Belfast on 19 September 2024. UK tour schedule below. Tickets are on sale via lesmis.com/worldtour. Visit the website to view the cast’s scheduled performance dates, which are subject to change. Further casting to be announced soon.

Cameron Mackintosh said today “The spectacular world arena tour of the Les Misérables concert has been a dream of mine for many years. With Les Mis' 40th phenomenal year starting this October, there couldn't be a better time for it to happen. A dream concert deserves a dream cast and I couldn't be more thrilled to announce that the first UK leg of the tour, which opens in Belfast in September and is already more than two thirds sold out, will star Alfie Boe or Killian Donnelly as Jean Valjean and Michael Ball or Bradley Jaden as Javert, heading a cast and orchestra of over 65. Many other favourite Les Misérables performers, chosen from all over the world, will be announced in a few weeks’ time. After the UK, the world tour will play many cities across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Korea, Japan and several other Asian cities before it returns to Europe and beyond. With the Les Misérables movie now being re-released in cinemas across the world in its completely remixed digital glory, sounding and looking better than ever, and with the London and North American productions still regularly breaking attendance records, Les Misérables is a true phenomenon – The People’s Musical – and the only musical ever to be simultaneously a hit on stage, screen and in concert arenas. Boublil and Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer and I owe our inspiration to the genius of Victor Hugo's masterpiece.”

Multi-platinum selling recording artist, Alfie Boe OBE has established a reputation as one of the most powerful and prestigious UK born and bred voices. ‘The Nations favourite tenor’ also often referred to as ‘West End and Broadway Royalty’ has almost 3 decades of a whirlwind career under his belt so far. The Grammy nominated star has won a Tony Award, multiple Classical Brit Awards, a Silver Clef Award to name but a few. Alfie’s recording career has not only acquired him eleven top 10 albums including two number 1’s but numerous sold-out headline tours in the UK as a solo artist and as part of his duo act with Michael Ball ‘Ball and Boe’. He also sold out a US tour with Classic Quadrophenia alongside Pete Townsend, Vegas with his solo ‘Showstoppers’ debut and ‘Lights On Broadway’ that he headlined in Japan. Boe’s spellbinding voice has led him to some of the world’s most prestigious stages. From The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to the balcony at Buckingham Palace, The Horse Guards Parade for VE Day 70, multiple shows at The Royal Albert Hall, Opera Houses around the world, Theatre stages in The West End and Broadway, U.S Memorial Day at The West Lawn in Washington and many more. A firm favourite of The Royal Family, Alfie also released the official Platinum Jubilee National Anthem as a duet with Sarah Brightman. Alfie progressed from singing Arias on the factory floor underneath cars during his apprenticeship as a mechanic in his home town, to receiving a place at The Royal College Of Music followed by The National Opera Studio and the Royal Opera House. It was the moment the legendary Baz Luhrmann discovered him where things really started to propel. He landed his first Broadway role in La Boheme which resulted in him winning his Tony award. Alfie went on to play Alfredo in La Traviata, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutti, J. M. Barrie in Finding Neverland on Broadway, The Mikado, Billy Bigelow in Carousel, and the role he is best known for, Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. Alfie’s spine-tingling rendition of ‘Bring Him Home’ continues to blow audiences away. He has played Jean Valjean in the West End and Broadway as well as celebrating the show’s 25th Anniversary at London’s O2 Arena and most recently, The All-Star Concert version of the show alongside Michael Ball and Matt Lucas. Alfie’s recording career took off when he was initially signed in 2006 by Classic FM where he released his first album. He then moved to EMI Records and Decca Universal where he went on to become one of the big success stories and acquired his multiple platinum sales and ten top 10 records. In 2016 he partnered with friend Michael Ball, (who he met on the set of Kismet) to form the duo ‘Ball and Boe’. The pair released a Number 1, double platinum album ‘Together’ followed by an equally successful release of ‘Together Again’. They have since had another 3 chart topping records and continue to sell out Arena tours across the UK. In 2023 Alfie released his most recent solo album ‘Open Arms, The Symphonic Songbook’ on BMG Records. An eleventh top 10 record that showcases an eclectic mix of power ballads accompanied by beautiful orchestral arrangements. He sold out a headline solo tour in the UK and released a Sunday Times Bestselling Memoir book ‘Face The Music’. This followed his appearance in BBC1’s Freeze The Fear with Whim Hoff where fans really grasped an insight to his personal journey. Alfie is set to go back on the road in May this year for his ‘Encore’ tour.

Killian Donnelly has just finished playing Jean Valjean in Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, having previously played the role to critical acclaim in both the West End production and the sell-out UK and Ireland tour. Killian recently played ‘Bruce Bechdel’ in Fun Home at Gate Theatre, Dublin. His other theatre credits include the role of ‘The Phantom’ in The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, ‘Charlie Price’ in Kinky Boots on Broadway, a role he originated at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2015, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award and for the cast recording a Grammy Award, and ‘Huey’ in the original London cast of Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre for which he was also nominated for an Olivier Award. He created the role of ‘Deco’ in The Commitments at the Palace Theatre and has also played ‘Tony’ in Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre, as well as ‘Raoul’ in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. He first joined the West End company of Les Misérables in 2008, going on to play the role of ‘Enjolras’ from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he played the role of ‘Courfeyrac’ in the “25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables” at The O2 Arena and also played the role of ‘Combeferre’ in the multi-award-winning film, which will be re-released in cinemas this month to mark its 10th Anniversary.

Michael Ball is Britain’s leading musical theatre star, a double Olivier Award-winning, Grammy nominated, multi-platinum recording artist and a hugely popular radio and TV presenter. For over 30 years he has been at the top of his game, starring in musical theatre productions in the West End and on Broadway, winning critical acclaim, a devoted following and awards for his stage work and recording career. Michael’s theatre include Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (ENO/Coliseum), Javert in Les Misérables – The Staged Concert (Gielgud Theatre) Anatoly in Chess (ENO/Coliseum), Mack in Mack and Mabel (Chichester/UK Tour), Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (West End) for which he won the Olivier Award for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (Original West End Cast) for which he won the Olivier Award for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’, Kismet (English National Opera), Patience (New York City Opera), The Woman in White (West End/Broadway), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West End), Passion, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love (West End/Broadway) and creating the role of. Marius in Les Misérables (Original West End Cast). His television credits include the Victoria Wood BBC TV film, That Day We Sang, opposite his Sweeney Todd co-star, Imelda Staunton. Michael has a successful radio broadcasting career which includes his own show, The Michael Ball Show on BBC Radio 2 on Sundays. He is also a popular TV presenter - he has hosted The Michael Ball Show on ITV1, his first TV travelogue, Wonderful Wales on Channel 5 and most recently an Easter Sunday special for the BBC. He regularly tours the UK as a concert artist and has sold millions of albums over the last 30 years; he’s performed in Australia, China, USA, Japan and, in 2007, made his BBC Proms debut: An Evening with Michael Ball at the Royal Albert Hall which marked the first time a musical theatre star had been given a solo concert at the Proms. In 2016 he released Together, a collaborative effort with close friend and singer Alfie Boe, that featured performances of classic songs. The album became the UK’s best-selling album of 2016 and beat the likes of Little Mix and The Rolling Stones to the Christmas No.1 spot. Ball & Boe then released Together Again which brought the pair yet another No.1 album in 2017, and Back Together which landed them the No.2 spot in the Official Albums Chart. In 2020, Michael and Alfie released their first festive album Together at Christmas featuring both old favourites and originals. Thanks to their latest release ‘Together in Vegas’, which entered the UK album chart at No.3 in October 2022, they have now sold over 1.5 million albums in the UK, received two Classic Brit Awards, sold out two headline arena tours and presented three ITV Specials! During the various U.K. lockdowns, Michael started to pen new material -- the result was We Are More Than One, an album more personal than ever before. After learning how to write and record remotely, every track had an inspiring story to tell. His debut novel, ‘The Empire’ - published in Autumn 2022, became a Sunday Times Bestseller and he recently released his first ever memoir titled ‘Different Aspects’.

Bradley Jaden recently received rave reviews for his performance in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre. He also appeared as Raoul in Broadway Italia's brand new production of The Phantom of the Opera in Trieste and most notably as Javert in Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, a role he also played in the final cast of the musical at the Queen’s Theatre. Prior to that he starred as Enjolras in the concert staging of the production at the Gielgud Theatre. His other West End credits include appearing in the Gala cast of Old Friends at the Sondheim Theatre, Fiyero in Wicked at the Victoria Apollo Theatre, Thomas Percy in Treason: The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Sir Lancelot in Camelot in Concert at the London Palladium, the UK tour of Ghost The Musical and Shrek The Musical at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. His TV credits include Emmerdale on ITV, Sugar Rush on Channel 4, and most recently EastEnders on BBC One.

The World Tour begins as the stage musical enters its 40th revolutionary year and will run throughout the upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations for the world’s longest running musical in 2025.

LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR will be expanded from the hugely successful Les Misérables The Staged Concert which played for over 200 record-breaking performances in the West End. It will have an extraordinary new design specifically created for arenas (and large theatres) with audiences of between 3,000 and 5,000. This spectacular production will have a company of over 110 actors, musicians and crew featuring a core cast with a great number of celebrated Les Mis guest stars appearing as their schedules allow.

Nick Grace is one of the World’s leading producers and general managers of international touring productions and in the last 25 years has presented shows in 59 countries worldwide including BATMAN LIVE – World Arena Tour, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – The Arena Spectacular, BLUE MAN GROUP World Tour and the ongoing MAMMA MIA! UK & International Tour.

The critically acclaimed production of Les Misérables continues to play at the Sondheim Theatre where it will soon enter its 40th revolutionary year, and several other local language productions are currently on or in preparation around the world. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Oscar-winning movie, a remastered and remixed version will be released in cinemas Nationwide on 14th February.

Book tickets and find more more at lesmis.com/worldtour.