Young Australian Jamie Ward Starring in West End Les Misérables

Australian performer Jamie Ward took over the role of Marius in the musical Les Misérables on January 28 at Queen's Theatre in London’s West End. He will play the role in the long running hit, his first on a West End stage, until mid-June, 2013.

Ward, a WAPPA graduate from Perth, has previously been seen in Australia in the musicals Spring Awakening (Hanschen) for the Sydney Theatre Company and Dr Zhivago (Young Yurii Zhivago) for the Gordon Frost Organisation.

Jamie told Stage Whispers, “When I performed as a finalist at the Rob Guest Endowment (in 2011), they asked me what my dream role would be. I told them it was Marius. It is a dream role, because he represents everything that a young man deals with when he enters the real world. So many questions, so few answers, but a whole lot of determination and faith.  

“The role came about after I finished Dr Zhivago. I was asked to sing for Cameron Mackintosh and Stephen Brooker. I then recorded myself singing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables and put it on YouTube, and I think that may have kept me in their heads. A year later I get a call at 10pm from my agent saying, 'you don't have to live with nine other tourists in a share house mate... you’re going to the West End'.”

And the first performance?

“It was an incredible night, couldn't get the smile off my face at the end.”