08/05/2026
Thank you to Backstage Christchurch for coming along to support us. Check out the latest review below!
| NEW REVIEW |
‘Les Misérables’
Director - Tom Hart
Musical Director - Gavin Hurley
Produced by North Canterbury Musicals
Performed at the Rangiora Town Hall
Until 23 May
Running time: 2hrs 50mins (including interval)
Reviewed by Kineta Knight for Backstage Christchurch - Theatre Reviews
Is there any musical more emotionally overwhelming than 'Les Misérables'? A show with some of the most recognisable songs and characters ever written? Probably not. So to see such a large-scale production performed in a community theatre setting with this level of professionalism blew me away.
It feels like a completely different show from the more traditional one last performed on the Rangiora Town Hall stage in 2008. The creative team of director Tom Hart and musical director Gavin Hurley, together with countless others behind the scenes, have created something very special. It’s clear that six months of rehearsals has more than paid off.
From the youngest performers on stage, including Magi Dimarucut (Young Cosette) and Mac Simpson (Gavroche), to seasoned performers such as Grant Lowe (Javert), this entire cast is truly impressive.
The exceptional James Hart leads the production as Jean Valjean with commanding confidence, while Jessie-Jane Rosewarne is an absolute standout in the role of Fantine.
What makes this production such a triumph is that it never feels like a regional theatre company simply “having a crack” at a popular musical. It’s ambitious, polished and emotionally intelligent. And vocally? Extraordinary.
The ensemble work throughout the show is immense. Les Mis is famously demanding, requiring performers to sing with relentless emotional intensity for almost the entire evening, and this cast rises magnificently to the challenge.
With such a large cast, orchestra and backing vocalists to balance, sound designer and operator Tom Robertson always had a huge task on his hands. And what a brilliant mix it was. Combined with Jesse Rogers’ lighting, Ghislane Smith’s rich costuming and Reuben Green/Tom Hart’s grand set, this production really is something else.
There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a show of this calibre in Rangiora. It speaks volumes about the strength of Canterbury’s performing arts community that audiences can experience work of this standard outside the Christchurch Performing Arts Precinct.
This production deserves enormous praise. An ambitious piece of musical theatre executed with confidence, passion and skill. A triumph for North Canterbury Musicals.
