Make a day out of 'Les Misérables' in London

Make your trip to the West End's revolutionary musical even more memorable by adding visits to an historic London pub, a French restaurant, and a museum full of historic treasures.

Marianka Swain20 November, 2024, 16:00

Do you hear the people sing? You will do soon if you’ve booked a trip to one of the West End’s longest-running and most popular musicals, Les Misérables. Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s show, adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel, is a revolutionary epic packed with unforgettable songs like “I Dreamed A Dream” and “Bring Him Home”.

Make your Les Misérables outing even more incredible by adding other activities to your London visit, from evocative museums to a pub where you can toast the Master of the House, and another ground-breaking musical that would make a great double bill with Les Mis.

Book Les Misérables tickets on London Theatre.

British Museum

Les Misérables takes place in 19th-century France, dramatising a turbulent period that climaxes with the 1832 Paris Uprising – a mass republican protest in which thousands took to the barricades in the city centre, but ultimately were defeated by the army and the national guard. It makes for stirring and heartbreaking theatre.

If that journey into the past makes you eager to do more digging, head straight for the British Museum. The extraordinary collection there includes rooms dedicated to Europe just before and during the time that Les Misérables is set, immersing you further in this earth-shattering era of history.

Address: Great Russell Street, London WC1B

Price: Free

Tower of London

The hero of Les Misérables, Jean Valjean, spends 19 years in prison just for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. Prison guard-turned-policeman Javert refuses to accept that a convict should be allowed a fresh start, and continues to dog Valjean throughout his life. But Hugo believes passionately in redemption.

Keep exploring those knotty ideas around crime, justice and incarceration with a visit to the Tower of London. This ominous fortress was used as a prison for several centuries: its famous, and unfortunate, inhabitants included Henry VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey.

Address: Tower Hill, London EC3N

Price: £

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St Paul’s Cathedral

Faith is central to Les Misérables. Valjean is rescued by a bishop early on in the story, and from that moment he professes that his soul belongs to God. The most spine-tingling song in the show is a prayer: “Bring Him Home”, in which Valjean begs the Almighty to save a young man’s life.

London is home to numerous beautiful buildings of all faiths, so you can continue your pilgrimage around the city. But make sure you include a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s Baroque masterpiece and the site of important moments throughout history, from Admiral Lord Nelson’s funeral to the thanksgiving service for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Address: St Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M

Price: £

Book St Paul’s Cathedral tickets on London Theatre.

Mr Fogg’s Tavern

It’s not all doom and gloom in Les Mis, despite the title! One of the comic subplots involve the unscrupulous Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, who run an inn while fleecing all their customers. That gives us the raucous number “Master of the House”, in which the opportunistic Thénardier chuckles that he’s “ready with a handshake / and an open palm”.

Raise a glass to the Master of the House by taking a fortifying break in one of London’s numerous pubs (in fact, we’ve got a great round-up of West End pubs here). Mr Fogg’s Tavern will keep you in the historic spirit of the show, with its eccentric Victorian décor – it’s named for the explorer Phileas Fogg.

Address: 58 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N

Price: £££

Balthasar

Alas, the characters of Les Misérables don’t often have the time (or resources) for a hearty meal, but that shouldn’t stop you from seeking one out – and London has several excellent French restaurants. Try Balthazar, which is handily located in Covent Garden, so a great place to pause during your sightseeing.

It also has a very good value lunch and pre-theatre menu (less than £30 for three courses). Highlights include roasted celeriac soup with truffle crème fraîche, Merguez sausages, moules marinière and frites, steak tartare, and warm chocolate brownie with Chantilly cream.

Address: Russell Street, London WC2B

Price: ££

Hamilton

Les Mis isn’t the only revolutionary musical in town! Just as those idealistic French radicals, including Enjolras and Marius, are gathering their forces, over at the Victoria Palace Theatre you’ll find a bunch of young, scrappy and hungry American revolutionaries fighting for their independence.

Try a double bill of Les Mis and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s explosive hip-hop musical Hamilton, which tells the story of forgotten Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. He becomes George Washington’s right-hand man and the nation’s first Treasury Secretary, but also gets caught up in duelling and a sex scandal. It’s another fantastic way to explore history through thrilling theatre.

Book Hamilton tickets on London Theatre.

Les Misérables

Finally, head to the Sondheim Theatre for the extraordinary Tony and Olivier Award-winning Les Misérables. This multi-generational story has everything: crime, justice, rebellion, family, faith, and love. It combines electrifying drama with raucous comedy, beautiful romantic duets, and that iconic battle on the Paris barricades.

You’ll definitely already know several of the big songs, such as “I Dreamed A Dream”, “Bring Him Home”, “On My Own”, “One Day More”, and “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, but it’s even more exciting hearing them in the context of this epic tale. Join the revolution with a trip to this West End musical favourite.