A savvy and stylish update, and superb cast gives this 35-year-old musical a new lease of life.

It’s arguably one of the most popular, and ubiquitous musicals in the world, with productions packing houses (and earning Producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh millions) from London’s West End to New York’s Broadway. Now, after delighting audiences in Melbourne and Perth, it’s Sydney’s turn to host the latest incarnation of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s adaption of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, currently on an Australia tour, and a capacity crowd, peppered with celebrities, turned out for the glitzy opening performance at the Capitol Theatre.

In 2010 after 30 unbroken years, Trevor Nunn’s original vision for the musical was retired, and a reimagined production, including a new orchestration, has spent the past five years being fine-tuned and perfected. After three decades, even with a facelift, I was dubious about how much more this show could offer. However this taut, briskly paced new version not only affirms why this musical still has the power to captivate and move audiences the world over, but also delivers some surprising new perspectives on this well trodden tale, thanks...