Victor Hugo Archives - North West End UK

I was not surprised when the applause rang out at the Hull New Theatre on Friday evening for the spectacular that is Les Misérables. What did surprise me, however, was that the applause from the audience in the jam-packed theatre started before the show had even begun after a disembodied voice reminded us to turn off our phones and enjoy the show. Let me start my review by showing my appreciation for the amazing stage setting which brought to life the uprising by the poor of Paris, in 1832. Marvellous costumes, dramatic lighting, sounds and rousing music from talented musicians conducted by Ben Ferguson, all helped to create a production that took my breath away. But all the above would be nothing without actors who, to a man, woman and child (or children in this case, stars of...

Based on the 1869 novel ‘The Man who Laughs’ by Victor Hugo, ‘The Grinning Man’ is an eerie and sinister tale of a grinning ‘freak’ searching to find ‘the monster in his mind’ and discover the secrets of his past. The musical enjoyed a very successful period at The Trafalgar Studios in London’s West End and is now available for streaming from its performance at The Bristol Old Vic. Set in 19th century London, ‘The Grinning Man’ intertwines terror with dark comedy in order to relay the spine-chilling tale of an abandoned child called Grinpayne (Louis Maskell), desperate to find the secrets of his past and how he gained his ‘grinning’ smile in the first place. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to Dea (Audrey Brisson), a blind girl, also longing for her own discovery. She accompanies...

Tag: Victor Hugo

Les Misérables – Hull New Theatre

The Grinning Man – Bristol Old Vic