Les Miserables director Warren Bates doesn't mince his words when asked to rate the bear witness.

"It's 'legendary'. It's the grandpa of the granddaddy of shows. I know a lot of people have seen the show earlier, which is why I've tried to make it more accurate by being true-blue to the novel.

"We've brought the show into the 21st century. Let's face it, information technology was 25 years agone that people kickoff saw the show and 16 years since they last saw information technology in New Plymouth and and then much has inverse since so.

We didn't have i-phones for example, and then of grade the technology has gone into a digital world."

The special effects that have made possible are jump to exist a highlight of this year's product and goes some manner to giving this production its own unique character and emotion.

Naturally Warren doesn't desire to requite away all of the secrets just at that place are dissimilar dimensions to the show non seen hither earlier.

"Nosotros've gone with a traditional set this fourth dimension, with the circumduct, and a high-definition LED light wall at the dorsum of the set, all with some innovative lighting.

"It's well-nigh trying to reach a midpoint betwixt a cinematic journey and a stage journey and marry them together. It's actually quite exciting."

In trying to make the testify as true as possible to the novel Warren describes the show every bit 'raw'.

"It'south indicative of the times of that menses. That was a time when women were suppressed and this is near nonfiction. The music makes information technology a fleck more fictional, but as a managing director I take to seek the truth and extract the believability from the audience'southward point of view.''

It's been a labour of love for the veteran director who went through a painstaking auditioning period to get exactly the right person to play each character. The rehearsals take been going on for months and increasing in intensity, just he remains very aware of the fact that everyone in the show is a volunteer.

"The No 1 divergence is everyone is here because they beloved it and so there's a pressure level point as to how far you lot can push them.

"I'm always mindful that for the cast it's a hobby. It'due south not as if though they are on a payroll. Any fourth dimension I commit to directing I balance that against my primary commitment, which is to the thousands of audience members.

"My next priorities are to work hard and make the evidence await expert and to brand the cast wait good and feel proud.''

Warren says he is sure they are on track to achieve only that.

Les Miserables opens on Thursday 26 July, with 17 performances scheduled.
Tickets are bachelor now via Ticketek.

Warren gives a rare insight into his role

How do I describe what I practice as a managing director?

"A good proportion of my job is nigh co-ordinating a whole lot of people who are very talented and trying to create an environs in which they can do their very best in whatever given area of expertise they're working.

The other side of it is working out how best to tell a story and in a sentence, my role as a director is to disseminate everyone's skills over the given story to bring it to life.

Right from the beginning, i should not become so fixed about how you take imagined something that someone tin can't really ameliorate it.

You have to leave the door open for the other brains that you're using to get: 'Yes, you've given me this moving picture and at present I'1000 going to colour it in to give it greater depth.'

You actually want to keep that through the entire artistic process.

Whether y'all're working with the creative squad, stage management or an actor, you may say: 'These are the lines and this is where I experience the emotional arc is in the scene'.

The more fluidity there is in the cosmos of a work, the more likelihood of creating something believable.

That said, if something comes along that destroys your initial prototype of what it was going to feel like, it can be not very much fun. Only I've rarely plant that getting super stressed and shouting at people gets annihilation better done than trying to stay calm.''

Casting

"I'm actually conscious of the horror of the auditioning situation, peculiarly selecting from a modest community of local actors where reputably, the detail show is internationally legendary. I find in nearly cases, one has to cast intuitively, thus much of my free energy in auditions goes in to getting actors relaxed enough for their natural personality to come through. In casting, y'all're looking for the essence of who the person is that you're trying to bandage.

If the essence that an histrion possesses is non the essence you as a director think you're looking for then that's not their error.

One of the things I always discover when I'one thousand casting is that for 85-90% of the people that come up in I recollect 'ah, if merely I was doing that show, this person would be perfect in information technology'. Y'all can run across the quality that person has that's so them and special and great but at that place'south nothing yous can do about it if the show yous're casting doesn't have that role in it.''

A few things about Warren Bates

Les Miserables director Warren Bates is happy to talk almost pretty much everything under the sun, or on the stage, with one exception – himself. And then here'south a few facts nigh the man who plays such a big part in Taranaki'due south musical and theatre scene.

Kevin Landrigan was President of New Plymouth Operatic Lodge when it secured the rights to Les Miserables. "From the moment we heard a whisper that Les Miserables rights might exist becoming available, nosotros hoped we would be able to secure Warren's services.

"Les Mis is a Warren show. He will create an outstanding production that nosotros will all be very proud of.''

His conviction in Warren'south ability was well founded. Bates has directed several productions including Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera and Sis Act for the society, to proper noun a few. All achieved outstanding disquisitional and box role success.

Warren's involvement in the Performing Arts and Entertainment go back more than 25 years.

His many credits include beingness Company Director of The Australian Ballet for tours of Australia and throughout the world; Company Managing director for the Australian and South East Asian tour of The New Rocky Horror Show; Associate Producer for the Australian tour of A Tribute to the Dejection Brothers and was General Director for Paul Prissy Productions, who brought tiptop international acts Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, as well as stage shows, 'Mamma Mia', 'Bailiwick of jersey Boys' and 'Hairspray'.

At that place's so much more, only suffice to say Warren Bates has launched many careers in Taranaki since returning to Taranaki in 2005 past founding Stage Centre, a performing arts school roofing many aspects of theatre including improvisation and musical theatre.

In 2006 he was appointed as NPOS Artistic Managing director.

Article written past Gordon Brown. Photo by Chris Hill.
First published in the Taranaki Daily News on 20 July 2018.