Playing Javert - Days 8 and 9

I cannot believe I forgot to blog for a couple of days!  Shame on me!

Day 8 was the day of runthroughs of both Oliver and Les Misérables and both shows are coming together extremely well.  Les Misérables is basically ready to perform in my opinion.  There are a few things to fix, but very minor and little things.  Oliver needs a lot more work, but today is an all Oliver! day so we'll see how things go!

Day 9 saw the Les Misérables band call.  It was incredible.  It felt so amazing to sing along to the orchestra. Nearly got quite emotional since a lot of the orchestrated bits of the Schools Editon matches the professional West End production and the soundtracks.

Time is passing swiftly and this coming Friday sees the first Oliver! show (afternoon) and the first Les Misérables show (Evening).  I believe there are still tickets for both these events, so go to www.edfringe.com or www.captivatedrama.com to buy yours and come and see the shows!

Day 8 I got footage of Oliver! which can be viewed in the form of an unofficial trailer here:
















I have since done 2 vlogs but forgotten to update the blog, so apologies for this being a very rushed, not very well thought out post, but there's nothing I can do now I've missed the days they should have been up.  Here are the vlogs for days 8 and 9:

Once again thank you for following my journey to becoming Javert!  I promise this blog will be updated every night from now on and I won't forget!

kind regards

Gordon H

Playing Javert - Day 7

It's been a week already...

How time flies!  I mean seriously, it does not feel like last Thursday was the first rehearsal.  It's amazing how far we've all come in a week!

I mean seriously?!  As far as today is concerned, it's like we've had months and months of rehearsals!  In reality of course.  We've had 3 days without chorus and 4 days with...  I've never ever rehearsed a show which has come together so quickly!  Les Misérables is simply stunning!  No other word for it (except incredible of course, but as you know I over-use that word a lot...)

10:20am saw the start of our first complete runthrough of the show from start to finish.  It felt a lot different today, because it felt like we were performing to an audience (the chorus of girls.)  And even on the stage... it just all feels real now.  Who knew the schoolboy who became obsessed with the one who sings about being ready for schoolboys, would become the one singing about being ready for the schoolboys?  (is your mind fecked yet?  Mine certainly is... and I'm the one typing...)

Today also marked my first ever interaction with Sandy, our Master Thenardier, having interacted with Ali, the understudy, for days, it was time to see what Sandy was like.  And he was shockingly good. He played it just like Ali did, except with his own twist.  I dunno how he does it... Sandy is Thenardier!

Today also marked another first.  It was the first time someone recorded some footage of ME.  Javert's Suicide, one of the hardest songs I've ever sung and one of the most emotional/horrible to feel/act out.  That's all I'll say for now.

In short, Les Misérables is going to be incredible, and if you miss out, you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't turn up!

On the Oliver! front, I'm not entirely sure how to play my other character, Dr Grimwig.  I'm half considering asking Sally if I can do it in full Eleventh Doctor get up and goofiness (but I don't think it would go down well...).  Ah well, I'll work it out eventually!

and so I promised you a longer blogpost tonight, and you've got one.

Don't forget to watch the Youtube Video (linked below) and also like my facebook page, follow my twitter, all that jazz.  Only if you want to though (however I'd advise it in case you miss an update!)  Remember all will be updated every night from now until August 11th!

kind regards

Gordon H

Playing Javert - Day 6

Once again I'm knackered and need to be up early in the morning, so here are some more photos like yesterday.  I'll try my best to get a longer blogpost done for tomorrow though.

Kind Regards

Gordon H

Playing Javert - Day 5

Another very exciting, very brilliant, very exhausting rehearsal we had today.  There's not much to say here that I haven't already said in the video, so do forgive me for such a short post.  I took footage today and that's in the video. :)

I did however also take some stills from the video footage so you can see these above.

I promise tomorrow's post will be more exciting, I'm just exhausted right now, and need time to think!




kind regards

Gordon H

Playing Javert - Day 4

 Greetings to you from Ja-Ja.  Yes that's my new nickname and no it's not that cream coloured eejit from Star Wars either...

Another amazing day of Captivate Drama rehearsals.  I managed to get some pictures today.  On the right is my Barricade costume and below is the bicorn! (YAY BICORN!)

Today was the day the chorus was in for the first time and they completely rocked it! It felt so weird, yet so brilliant at the same time, considering we'd just had three days of principal only rehearsals.

Today all rehearsals were carried out in the theatre, apart from the Les Mis chorus singing through their bits of act I.

The show is going to be absolutely incredible (yes, that word again.) and I really hope that it sells out like it did last year, because then, it would be unforgettable!

As always the youtube video is now up, so do check it out and I'll see you tomorrow for blog 5!



kind regards

Gordon H

Playing Javert - Day 3

Before I get into this post, I know it's a day late, and I do apologise, but please forgive me for being exhausted last night.  I felt like crap and didn't feel up to a video/blog post.

Anyway day 3 was incredible.  Over-using that word a little, but no other words can describe how wonderful rehearsals are right now!  We have now done a full show-runthrough with all the principals and it really was fantastic.  The whole show has been performed over 3 days with just the principals and tomorrow the chorus turn up!

During the runthrough however myself and our Thenardier were called to the stage to help with lighting (standing in spaces to have light shone on us to show the lighting crew how it looks) and in doing so we missed One Day More.  But I'm not complaining because it's not as if it was a real show... was it?

I was rather excited yesterday because one of the major things I did was try on some elements of costume.  I now know that I will be getting the famous Javert Prison Officer uniform (or a slight variation to it, but it's the same one nonetheless!) and I now know what my costume for the Barricade scenes look like.  It'll be interesting to see how it all adds up in our final rehearsals!  I'm also getting a Bicorn! YAY! I love a good Bicorn! In fact I'm a lover of hats, so to find out that I'll be having a Bicorn and also possibly a top hat, I kinda fanboyed a bit...

The Bicorn I saw was extremely similar to how Russell Crowe's one looked when I looked at myself wearing it.  I don't have a picture of the hat itself, but I'll get that for you in time. For now, have a random Russell Crowe picture



Tomorrow consists of both Oliver and Les Misérables rehearsals running in tandem with each other.  It'll be interesting to see how it all fits together because I'm sure rehearsing two shows at once with one director is a bit stressful!

As always my latest vlog is now on youtube.  I'm really enjoying doing these and I hope you like them as much as I do making them :)

kind regards

Gordon H

Playing Javert - Day 2

Has it really already been 2 days?!

Yes it has, and these two days have been absolutely wonderful!  We have nearly completed principal rehearsals and start with the chorus on Monday.

Today was an Act II day, barricade scenes/sewers/suicide/cafe/confession was all covered in the space of 4 hours, which means we've runthrough almost the entire musical with just principals, in 2 days! That's incredible!  I don't think I've ever seen quicker learning/rehearsing!

For fun, Max, our Jean Valjean himself, and I sang a complete rendition of the Confrontation (which is sadly shortened in the School Edition) which was absolutely epic!  Someone filmed us, so fingers crossed for that video going online!

Tomorrow is set to be epic, it's an entire runthrough of what we've done over these 2 days plus the end.  I can't wait to have a full day of playing Javert when it's both acts we perform.

I honestly cannot wait until next week when the chorus come in!  It's going to be super epic, and I'll also get to do my bit for Oliver! next week too!  I'm having the time of my life right now, and I'm sure it will be a time I will remember for the rest of my life!

I really hope you enjoyed reading this and will continue to join me in my journey to the Fringe!

kind regards

Gordon H