‘Les Misérables’ at 40: The Unlikely Story of a Hit

The Evening Standard dismissed it as a “glum opera” more suited to Victorian times than 1980s Britain. The Daily Mail lamented that Caird and Nunn had transformed the “tidal wave of emotions” in Victor Hugo’s novel “into ripples of cheap sentiment.” It was “The Glums,” the review added.

Adding to the pressure, Cameron Mackintosh, the show’s lead producer, had just 48 hours to decide whether to pay for a West End transfer. If he didn’t, the musical would vanish after just a few weeks when it ended its Barbican run.

Fortunately for the team, the critics didn’t have the final say.

Critics have so much power when it comes to live theatre, it’s amazing to read that Les Mis was so good it was able to overcome what would normally be a fast end to a production. Give the 25th anniversary album a listen below.