Cast

Jean Valjean

Hayden Lawrence
Bio

Hayden Lawrence

Taking the role of Jean Valjean is Hayden Lawrence whose credits include Jekyll & Hyde, the New Zealand premier of Miss Saigon, and Sweeney Todd. Hayden has also had lead roles in Paris as Paris, Chess as the Russian Anatoly Sergievsky, Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas Iscariot and most recently Chess again as the American Freddie Trumper. While in London, he auditioned with 4000 hopefuls for ITV’s Superstar, making it to the final 100 and performing in front of a panel consisting of Sporty Spice Melanie Chisholm, actor/singer Jason Donovan and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s casting director David Grindrod.

Javert

Chris Crowe
Bio

Chris Crowe

New Zealand’s much-loved star of musical theatre, Chris Crowe will play the villain, Inspector Javert. Chris has received critical acclaim as The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, a role he had the pleasure of performing across New Zealand, and more recently as Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Other credits include: Enjolras (Les Miserables), John (Miss Saigon), Judas/Pontias Pilate (Jesus Christ Superstar), Anatoly (Chess), Peron (Evita) and Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) for the Australian Opera Studio in Perth.

Marius

Nick Lerew
Bio

Nick Lerew

Nick Lerew will reprise his character Marius, a role he’s performed professionally more than a hundred times. Nick can boast roles in some of the world’s biggest shows, including Miss Saigon (Chris), South Pacific (Lt. Joseph Cable), Into the Woods (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), and Legally Blonde (Emmett).

 

Fantine

Gemma Hoskins
Bio

Gemma Hoskins

Twenty years after making her big stage debut as Cosette, Gemma Hoskins will play Fantine. Since then, Gemma has appeared in multiple Wellington productions including Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Beauty & The Beast, and Miss Saigon.

Cosette

Flora Dryburgh
Bio

Flora Dryburgh

As the youngest member of the cast, Flora Dryburgh’s age belies her experience on stage. Having brought to life characters including Wednesday Addams in the Addams Family Musical and Alison Vernon Williams in the New Zealand premiere of Cry-Baby The Musical, Flora brings to life the principal role of orphan Cosette. Her other credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (2020) and touring with the Capital E National Theatre for Children in Seasons by the late Peter Wilson.

Eponine

Maya Handa Naff
Bio

Maya Handa Naff

Maya Handa Naff will be Eponine, a character she has brought to life many times during her extraordinary career which includes performing, directing, and teaching across the United States. Having trained in New York City, Maya’s career highlights include Miss Saigon (Kim), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily Cardew), Cabaret (Sally Bowles) and Avenue Q (Christmas Eve).

 

M. Thenardier

Sandy Leadbeater
Bio

Sandy Leadbeater

Playing the outrageous M. Thénardier is Sandy. Sandy has most recently been seen in Coasters 2021 production of Mary Poppins playing Mr Banks and is a regular performer in Porirua Little Theatre productions. No stranger to LES MISÉRABLES, Sandy has performed as Javert in the Wellington and Palmerston North seasons back in 2002.

Mme. Thenardier

Tania Dreaver
Bio

Tania Dreaver

Playing the outrageous Mme. Thénardier is Tania Dreaver. Tania is relishing the challenge of playing the villainous Madame Thénardier, having recently brought to life two other strong female characters in Miss Andrews in Mary Poppins, and the imposing Mother Abbess in PLT’s production of The Sound of Music.

Enjolras

Joe Mara
Bio

Joe Mara

Like his character Enjolras who fights for the rights of the people, Joe Mara is a lawyer by day and performer by night. Classically trained in piano, Joe is also the former president of Vocal FX, a men's barbershop chorus which competed internationally, and has been involved in a variety of theatre shows from Sweaty Eddie in Wellington Musical Theatre's Sister Act to Dr Flake in Gilbert and Sullivan Society's light opera, Die Fledermaus.

 
 

Valjean Cover

Patrick Kelly
Bio

Patrick Kelly

Patrick is a professional singer, actor, director, producer, musical director, writer, and composer; producing 45 new musicals for his business Harmonious Events; and is one of Auckland’s top singing teachers. Patrick has worked extensively in Australasia, toured Japan and China, and works with Broadway Dreams in the USA as co-founder of Broadway Dreams New Zealand. He has 25 years experience contracting to NZ Opera/APO for 45 operas and concerts. Recent Highlights include Sam/MC in The Diva! Show, Maxi Flair in Live Drag Opera and Simon Bridges in Proportional Misrepresentation.

 
 
 

Male ensemble

Adam Nachowitz
Alex Coogan-Reeves
Alistair Davies
Benjamin Emerson
Ben Paterson
Chris Hayward
Chris McMillan
Chris Wardle
Dominic Taffs
Dominic van den Berg
Glenn Horsfall
Jared Pallesen
Matthew Scadden
Patrick Jennings 
River Santner
Senuka Sudusinghe
Simon Brew

Female ensemble

Adriana Calabrese
Alexandra McKellar
Allegra Canton
Emily K Brown
Frankie Leota
Jessie Cooper
Lane Corby
Megan Neill
Mia Alonso-Green
Paula Gardyne
Rachel McSweeney
Rebecca Ansell

Backing Vocalists

Aria Leader-Fiamatai
Emily Yeap
Oliver Smythe
Raureti Ormond