Nunn 'Unhappy' on Being Passed Over for New LES MIS Production; Mackintosh Responds

As BroadwayWorld has reported, producer Cameron Mackintosh will present a 25th Anniversary production of LES MISERABLES this fall. Together with the current production at the Queen's Theatre in the West End and a 25th Anniversary concert of the show in the works, this new production - which will play the Barbican Theatre - will mark the first time 3 renditions of the same show has run simultaneously in the UK.  The 25th Anniversary production will tour the US beginning this fall.

One voice noticable absent in the excitement of the resurrection of the musical classic is that of original LES MISERABLES director Trevor Nunn, who, accoring to the UK Telegraph, is none too pleased with Mackintosh's plans. In a move that surprised many, Nunn was allegedly not asked by his former collaborator to recreate the touring production of the show.  He tells the Telegraph:

"If John Caird [Nunn's co-director] and John Napier [designer] and myself had been asked to do a revised version of Les Misérables that could tour the country and tour other countries in a way that didn't involve a revolving stage, which makes the touring very difficult, we would joyously have accepted. We would have kept all of the ingredients that we originally invented, and we would have found slightly different solutions staging-wise....We were not asked. In fact, we knew nothing of it. We were kept in the dark. People who were asked were an assistant director of John Caird's and mine working on the show and John Napier's assistant who had worked for John Napier many times in different productions abroad of Les Misérables. Those people were asked to become a new production team. Everywhere [it] is being advertised [as] a new production. It is not a new production. It is a variant production that owes everything that's good about it to the original production. And everything that's not so good about it, and is uncomfortable about it, is the work of a group of assistants. Do you gather that there is some unhappiness here?"

His hurt and confusion is perhaps well-founded, as, he explains, he crafted the show from close-to scratch and takes pride in the material that has become imprinted in the musical theater canon.

He adds: "There is no point in beating about the bush. We are profoundly unhappy and we feel profoundly betrayed and we don't understand. We seek a meeting. We are not given any explanation. What's so extraordinary is that, in the year when the 25th anniversary of the original production is being celebrated, the same logo and the same strapline is being used for the new production. So we are also very confused."

As for Mackintosh, he claims that Nunn was in no way kept out of the loop and that he simply "wished to create a new production that reflected the contemporary appeal of the musical today, and it seemed right to engage the energies of a new younger team to do this."  He explains: "I believe that each new generation has to be able to put its own stamp on great material. It is bewildering to me that Trevor Nunn, who has spent much of his brilliant career reimagining existing material, should be questioning the right of others to do so with Les Misérables."

To read both men's full comments in the Telegraph, click here.

LES MISERABLES originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on 8 October 1985, transferred to the Palace Theatre on 4 December 1985 and moved to its current home at the Queen's Theatre on 3 April 2004 where it continues to play to packed houses. When LES MISÉRABLES celebrated its 21st London birthday on 8 October 2006, it became the World's Longest Running Musical, surpassing the record previously held by "Cats" in London's West End. In January 2010, the West End production broke another record by celebrating an historic 10,000th performances.

Seen by over 56 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the world?s most popular musicals ever written, with new productions continually opening around the globe, with seven more currently scheduled. There have been 36 cast recordings of LES MISÉRABLES, including the multi-platinum London cast recording, the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums and the soon to be released live recording of the New 25th Anniversary production. The video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall Gala Concert has sold millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling musical videos ever in the UK. There are over 2,500 productions of the Les Misérables School?s Edition scheduled or being performed by over 125,000 school children in the UK, US and Australia, making it the most successful musical ever produced in schools. Cameron Mackintosh is currently developing a film of "LES MISÉRABLES" with Working Title and Universal.

In October this year, the legendary musical "LES MISÉRABLES" will celebrate its 25th birthday by making theatrical history with an international first - three different productions in London at the same time. The Original Production at the Queen's Theatre, the New 25th Anniversary Production at the Barbican, London and now, stars in their multitudes will gather for a celebratory concert at The O2 on Sunday 3rd October at 7.00pm, when all three productions and many of the shows original cast will come together to celebrate this momentous occasion.

The 25th Anniversary concert at The O2 will host a company of over 300 actors and musicians, including Alfie Boe as 'Jean Valjean,' Nick Jonas as 'Marius,' Norm Lewis as 'Javert,' Matt Lucas as 'Thénardier,' Lea Salonga as 'Fantine,' Jenny Galloway as 'Madame Thénardier,' Camilla Kerslake as 'Cosette,' the just-announced Samantha Barks as 'Eponine' and the casts of the Original Production at the Queen's Theatre, the New 25th Anniversary Production at the Barbican, London and members of the Original 1985 London cast.

The New 25th Anniversary production and the O2 Concert are directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley. Original costumes by Andreane Neofitou, additional costumes by Christine Rowland, lighting by Patrick Woodroffe and Paule Constable and sound by Mick Potter.

Cameron Mackintosh's production of "LES MISÉRABLES" is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel and additional material by James Fenton. The original London 1985 production of "LES MISÉRABLES" was adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.

For tickets and more informaiton on all productions of LES MISERABLES, visit www.lesmis.com.