Les Misérables, recently voted the world’s number one musical in a BBC poll, started its sensational career after legendary impresario Cameron Mackintosh heard a recording of the original French adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel which had flopped dramatically in Paris in 1981.

Mackintosh saw potential and with some brand new lyrics from Herbert Kretzmer added to the powerful original score by Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, Les Misérables made its London debut at the Barbican in September 1985, moving to the West End’s Palace Theatre three months later where it played for eighteen years before its transfer to the Queens Theatre where it remains.

Reviews of Les Misérables were mixed at first, with many critics complaining about its length, its heavy going content and that a great piece of French literature had been forced into a musical. However, the strength of the story and the power of the performances given by the Royal Shakespeare company meant that word spread and Les Misérables was an enormous success. Possibly due to the lukewarm reception the show received on its inception, Les Misérables was not showered with awards although the Broadway production won eight Tonys when it opened in 1987.

The show’s international success has been constant ever since, with productions having played in thirty-eight different countries and translations into twenty different languages. Despite uneasy beginnings, this powerful story of peace and conflict, love and hate stands deservedly as the world’s favorite musical and the longest running musical production in West End history.