An emotional and physical challenge for actors

FOR the past 30 years, Les Miserables has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world, melting their hearts at the first refrain of I Dreamed a Dream or pumping their adrenaline at the sight of young men making their defiant last stand against the French army. But if this classic musical can evoke such emotions from the audience, imagine what it is like for the actors onstage who portray such powerful characters night after night.

When Les Miz - as it is affectionately called - opened in Singapore on May 31, Earl Carpenter had nearly reached his 2000th performance as Inspector Javert, the relentless pursuer of protagonist Jean Valjean. In a role that seems tailor-made for him, it's hard to imagine Carpenter as an eager 21-year-old watching Les Miz for the first time in London, so mesmerised by its "epic" scale that he dreamed of one day being a part of it.

Now, the 46-year-old can claim to have portrayed Javert in a string of cities from London to New York and Toronto. And today, Singapore.