DAVID LEE - JEAN VALJEAN
A leading performer for many years, David has worked in all the major theatres in Tasmania. His theatre credits include Sweet Charity, Oliver!, The Pajama Game, Man of La Mancha, Grease, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Cabaret and A Bright and Crimson Flower.
David's most notable work has been playing the roles of Gaynor Ravenal in Show Boat, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Pooh Bah in The Mikado, the Pirate King and Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance, Harold Hill in The Music Man, Wild Bill Hickock in Calamity Jane, Anatoly Sergeievsky in Chess, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Marco in The Gondoliers, the Defendant in Trial By Jury and Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore.
David has also sung with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Chorus in Madame Butterfly. He is delighted to encore the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables after playing it in the 1995 G&S production.

COLIN DEAN - JAVERT
After working backstage for a number of years, Colin's love of theatre started in 1988 with the Royal Hobart Hospital revue, when he stepped on stage because they were short of men.
Awarded Best Newcomer and the first of many Best Actor in a Leading Role awards for The Seven Year Itch, Colin has played many roles in comedies, musicals and dramatic productions including Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Pseudolis in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Frederick Trumper in Chess and the Duke of Rock and Roll in Beach Blanket Tempest.
Colin's most recent work has been to critical acclaim, playing lead roles in the highly successful productions of 42nd Street, Me and My Girl, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Secret Garden, My Fair Lady and recreating Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls.  Colin also played Ozzie Moore in the new show Aussie Rules The Musical.
Colin's wide range of skills has seen him perform as The Astronaut in IHOS Opera Company's production of Rapture, where he rose to the challenge of singing rich baritone opera whilst swimming laps in a pool. He has also performed in uni revues, Old Time Music Hall and Monday Morning Music Hall.
His comic ability has seen him appear on television in Over the Fence is Out and Something Hot Before Bed, perform at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and tour the State as part of the comedy duo Red Hot Cols.
After playing Javert in Les Miserables, Colin will star in Pierrot Productions' Little Shop of Horrors as the voice of Audrey Two.

SHARON PRERO - FANTINE
Sharon is Tasmania's finest opera singer. Since leaving the State at 20, she has appeared with the State Opera of South Australia, the Victorian State Opera, Opera ACT, the Lyric Opera of Queensland and Opera Australia. Sharon received acclaim for playing Carlotta in the Australian production of Phantom of the Opera.
Sharon taught voice at Avila College in Melbourne and has been a lecturer in voice at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music. She currently teaches voice and flute at St Michael's Collegiate and Hutchins schools.
Sharon's most recent work includes starring as soprano soloist in Carmina Burana for the Conservatorium of Music and Journey Through Musical Theatre for the Wrest Point Hotel Casino. After Les Miserables, Sharon will perform in Melbourne for an Olympic Gala Concert with the Malvern City Band and as Dame Nellie Melba in a tribute concert for the University of the Third Age.

ARABELLA WAIN - YOUNG COSETTE
Seven year old Arabella comes from a musical family. She began piano and singing lessons with Suzanne Ortuso in 1997 and has won many prizes in local eisteddfods. Last year, she sang 'Castle on a Cloud' at the Theatre Royal, being the youngest every participant in 'Our Young Performers in Concert'.
Arabella's acting experience includes the role of Sonia in Richard Flanagan's film The Sound of One Hand Clapping, and the occasional venture into the world of advertising.
Arabella enjoys a wonderful school life at St Michael's Collegiate School, participating in violin group, ballet and choir, and at home plays concerts and teaches music to her younger brothers. Her hobbies include origami and composing piano pieces.

BETTY DAVIDSON - MADAME THENARDIER
Betty has featured in theatre restaurant shows, oratorio, musical comedy and opera. Performances include Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro, being a member of the Australian Opera Chorus in Don Giovanni and all the dragon lady roles in G&S: Katisha in The Mikado, Lady Jane in Patience, the Duchess in The Gondoliers, Dame Curruthers in Yeoman of the Guard and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore. Although used to playing old ladies of an eccentric nature, Betty most enjoyed playing the role of Meg in The Meg and Mog Show for Mainstage in 1995.
Occasionally, Betty appears in roles where she doesn't sing: as Muriel in 'Soldiering on' from Talking Heads, as Alice More in A Man for All Seasons and most recently as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. Betty is delighted to encore the role of Madame Thenardier in the company of such a superb cast, production and artistic team.

GLENN BRAITHWAITE - THENARDIER
Glenn has been involved in the performing arts since the late seventies. In May 1987, he left Australia to perform with Club Med as a children's entertainer, touring to many overseas destinations.
He returned to Tasmania in 1989, performing in Richard Davey's Rainbow's Egg, followed by directing Only Heaven Knows for the Old Nick Company in 1990. The same year saw Glenn accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts for directing. After graduation, he also worked as assistant director for Melbourne Theatre Company's Much Ado About Nothing.
More recently, Glenn has worked in Hobart as a director, with credits including Cosi, Summer of the Aliens, The Fantasticks, The Secret Garden and Big River.

BEN PAINE - GAVROCHE
Ben's singing debut started at a young age in the Lansdowne Crescent Primary School Choir. After showing a great deal of promise, Ben was accepted into the ABC Giving Tree Choir in 1998 and went on to become one of the junior leaders in the 1999 choir.  In the same year, Ben also appeared in the New Town High School's production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
His first onstage appearance was in 1998 when he appeared with his mother in Golden Nickers, a tribute to 50 years of the uni revue, and he graced the Theatre Royal stage once more this year in Oliver!. Ben has also performed in eisteddfods and was awarded a scholarship to study voice with Ian Williams.

JUSTIN WIGG - ENJOLRAS
Justin's first theatrical performances were in Sydney, and in 1984 and 1985 he became involved with Sydney based theatre company, Shopfront Theatre for Young People. He acted in several plays, including the award winning Piece by Piece, a self-written work by the company which gained wide acclaim and toured North America for performances in Vancouver, Seattle, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. After moving to Tasmania with his family in 1985, Justin formed and performed in some of Hobart's best known bands, as well as contributing vocal tracks to numerous television and radio jingles.
From 1988 until 2000, he was a singer, guitarist and keyboardist with groups such as Network, Shake the Ghost, Handcuffs for Houdini, Twin Peaks, Styne's Legends and the Blues Brothers Revival Band. He has played all over Australia and has also been the support act for many national and international artists, including Van Halen, Jimmy Barnes, Baby Animals, George Thorogood and the Destroyers and the Hoodoo Gurus.

ANDREW SHORT - MARIUS
Andrew is a Hobart based artist. He helped establish the Tasmania Opera Youth Company in 1999 to promote young opera singers by allowing them a platform for exposure and experience. Andrew will be the only Tasmanian singing at the Melbourne Festival in October this year with a week long opera workshop. His theatrical career began at the age of eight as Theo in Forum Music Theatre's production of Pippin.
He has toured extensively as a member of the Rosny Children's Choir, and has performed in many concerts, musicals and operas over the last ten years. Such theatrical performances include the role of Marius in Les Miserables, The Pirates of Penzance, Trial By Jury, The Gondoliers, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, Rapture, Tesla (IHOS Opera), Relatively Speaking, Dido and Aeneas, Jesus Christ Superstar and Carmen.
Andrew has seen much success as a competitor at the Hobart eisteddfods. This year he received the Enid Spencer Memorial Prize for singer with the most potential. He also competed in the Australian National Eisteddfod in Canberra, where he won a section and placed well in two others. Andrew currently studies voice with Helen Todd and vocal coaching with Constantine Koukias.

MICHELLE HOWELL - EPONINE
Michelle started her professional dance career at age eight when she won a regular spot on Tas TV's Coming Up Next children's program. At 15 she won a scholarship to study dance at The Dance Factory, and after six months left to work in Tokyo in a touring theatre restaurant show, and later at Tokyo Disneyland.
Her other dancing credits include dancing at the Aria Awards, Countdown and touring Melbourne and Sydney in That's Dancing Live On Stage with Rhonda Burchmore.
Since then, Michelle has returned from Warner Brothers Movie World to open her own dance school, The House of Dance. Michelle remains the only dancer ever to receive a perfect score in the Hobart dance eisteddfods.

ALLISON FARROW - COSETTE
Now living in Melbourne, Allison studied singing in Hobart for many years under the guidance of Helen Todd. Allison has performed locally in many musicals, including the roles of Lily in The Secret Garden, the Plaintiff in Trial By Jury, Marty in Grease, and Robyn in Godspell. Since arriving in Melbourne Allison has played Claudia in the musical Nine. Allison has also worked with IHOS Opera, performing in Rapture, The Divine Kiss and recording a solo work for soprano entitled Incantation Echo.
An experienced chorister, Allison was a member of the Ogilvie Girls Concert Choir for six years and toured with them to England, Germany, Austria and Japan, where she sang as both guest soloist and choir member. Allison was also a member of the National Youth Choir of Australia.
Other appearances have included the Hobart City Carols by Candlelight, Government House and ABC Radio. Finally Allison forms half of the harp and soprano duo Wingfold, with distinguished harpist Christina Sonnemann.