#les mis ofc

— Frances Ruffelle (@francesruffelle) October 26, 2014

A Les Misérables OFC (1980) curiosity: Act 3 (immediately following the interval) began with a prisoner of the June rebellion recalling that fateful event.

The text in the photo is from the abridged original French production programme that was included in the “Stage to Screen” book, which is sold at the Queen’s theatre. The scene descriptions (in black) roughly read as follows:

"On the 5th of June 1832, the people of Paris, mobilised by the funeral of General Lamarque, rebel."

[second paragraph of black text:] “In his cell, a prisoner remembers: Rue de la Chanvrerie, the friends of the ABC, resolved to fight for the principles of equality, have built a barricade. Gavroche is alongside them.”

The story of Javert’s capture and release, Éponine’s death in Marius’ arms, the dawn before the fall of the barricade and the shooting and death of Gavroche therefore seem to be told from the recollection of a witness. Maybe not, and until a video surfaces some day we might not know for certain. But if this is the case, well, maybe it explains why the deaths of Enjolras and the other Amis were never shown in this production (the prisoner could easily have been captured by that stage).