Les Miserables to transfer to the Queen theatre 11 days early on 1 April 2004

Les Miserables to transfer to the Queen theatre 11 days early on 1 April 2004

Les Miserables will transfer to the Queen's Theatre 11 days early on Thursday 1 April 2004, and is now taking bookings to 1 Jan 2005. ( It was originally going to transfer on 12 April 2004)

After 18 years and over 7500 performances, the show will have its final performance at the Palace Theatre on Sat 27 March 2004.

The entire cast of Les Miserables will move with the production and the original design from the Palace Theatre will be rethought for the Queen's Theatre.

The move to the Queens Theatre has been necessitated by Really Useful Theatres needing to make essential renovations to the Palace Theatre.

Cameron Mackintosh, who owns the Queen's was due to take back the theatre at the expity of R.U.T's lease in 2006. He then plans to start the redevelopment of the whole Shaftesbury Avenue site, which includes the Queen's and Gielgud Theatre and the creation of the new Sondheim Theatre. Due to the pressing need to undertake the renovations at the Palace Theatre, R.U.T and Camereon Mackintosh agreed that the most sensible solution was for Cameron to take back the Queen's theatre 2 years early.

Les Miserables, which concerns Love and bravery in 19th century France during the revolutionary struggles, has been running in London since 1985. It is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, with original text by Alain Boublil and additional material by James Fenton. It is adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.

The show currently features Jeff Leyton (Jean Valjean) , Michael McCarthy (Javert ), Jon Lee (Marius ), Sophia Ragavelas (Eponine), Lydia Griffiths (Cosette), Oliver Thornton (Enjolras), Katy Secombe (Madame Thenardier), Joanna Ampil (Fantine), Stephen Tate (Thenardier).

It has been seen by over 50 million people worldwide in 38 countries and in 21 languages. There have been 31 cast recordings of "Les Miserables", including the multi-platinum London cast recording and the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums. The video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall Gala Concert has sold well over one million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling musical videos in the UK.