Thursday 7th and Friday 8th February 2013 saw two stunning performances of the School Edition of Les 
Miserables, performed by pupils of Scarborough College in Lisvane Hall.
Members of the audience commented afterwards on the depth of the emotional performances given by the students in the musical production, showing a remarkable maturity.
This musical tale of tragedy and triumph was conveyed with energy and passion to sell-out audiences and standing ovations on both nights.
Notable moments included the audible gasp of horror as the much-loved Gavroche, played by Pippa Burdass (Year 8), fell to the ground with a gunshot wound.
Then there was poor Fantine, played by Lisa Tam, the fated mother of Cosette who has to bear the pain of her own untimely demise and in fear that her daughter may not be safe without her in the world.
Isabelle Harvey’s acting and singing performance as Eponine was sensational in depicting the pain of her unrequited love for Marius.
These heart rending moments were lightened by the unscrupulous but entertaining duo, the dodgy pub landlords Monsieur et Madame Thernardiers, played by Tom Fraser and Becky Arundel.
Zach Gradwell’s portrayal of implacable law enforcer Javert was stern throughout. His harsh and unrelenting morality was utterly undermined by Valjean’s selfless generosity of spirit and the purity of the love that shone through between Marius (Alan Lewis) and the adult Cosette, played by both Vanessa Ng and Laura Martinez.
The piece de résistance had to be David Turner’s portrayal of Jean Valjean, who, in spite of his nineteen year imprisonment, was able to demonstrate unconditional love for others.
David’s solo singing performances sent chills down the spines of the audience as he grappled with his fate.
The chorus of lovely ladies and the men who were roused to man the barricades, were equally fantastic. Led by Enjolras (Philip Adams) the anthem of the people was a powerful and irresistible all to arms.
Each individual and group performance brought loud applause from the audience until the finale produced spontaneous standing ovations on both nights.
The actors’ ability to elicit such deep feelings of empathy in a mainly adult audience was nothing short of stunning. There were tears of amazement as well as tears for the sheer waste of it all.
As a school, we are so proud of what they have achieved and praise their hard work and talent for making this happen.