Les Misérables

Les Misérables returns in French in a new production directed by Ladislas Chollat. On 23 April 2026 at the Zénith de Lille, Victor Hugo’s sweeping epic is revived with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and a libretto by Alain Boublil, revised for this tour. On stage, 64 performers — actors and musicians — deliver nearly three hours of musical theatre.

Chollat emphasizes the power of character arcs and symbols: Jean Valjean’s redemption, Javert’s intransigence, Cosette’s innocence, the Thénardiers’ greed, and Gavroche’s courage. Scenes follow one another to the beat of moving sets — barricades, the Thénardiers’ inn, a ballroom, the sewers of Paris — which occupy the whole stage. The production includes songs that have become touchstones, from 'J’avais rêvé' to 'À la volonté du peuple', and including 'Mon histoire' and 'Le grand jour'. It offers a way to rediscover the work through a tightened narrative, a present chorus, and orchestration that is integrated with the stage, resulting in a story that still speaks to our era.