Amateurs join Les Miserables cast at Royal Variety

24 December 2025

Grace WoodYorkshire

News image — Ryan Brown and Luke Wilby were among performers from Leeds Amateur Operatic Society who sang at the Royal Variety Performance

Ryan Brown A group of 20 people stand in a theatre corridor. They are wearing blue T shirts with white logos on. They are smiling at the camera. — Ryan Brown and Luke Wilby were among performers from Leeds Amateur Operatic Society who sang at the Royal Variety Performance

Two of the stars of an amateur version of Les Miserables staged in Leeds have spoken about their "incredible" experience singing in the Royal Variety Performance.

Luke Wilby and Ryan Brown sang at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the annual event after they starred in one of the first ever amateur productions of the musical.

For the 40th anniversary of Les Miserables, producer Cameron Macintosh and Music Theatre International invited amateur groups to perform across the country earlier this year.

Mr Wilby, who played Jean Valjean in April, was selected to sing Stars from the musical alongside Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden during the Royal Variety Performance

He said the wait to see the show on Sunday, after it was filmed in November, had been tense.

"I felt like I was dreaming," he said.

"Doing it back in April was a pinch me moment anyway, to perform on Leeds Grand Theatre's stage and do Les Mis and perform with some great people from Leeds and Yorkshire am dram, and then to stand on the Royal Albert Hall stage with Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden singing Stars was crazy."

Luke Wilby 17 people stand in a line in a rehearsal room. They are wearing casual clothes and smiling at the camera — Luke Wilby joined the cast of Les Miserables at the Royal Variety Performance, which included Michael Ball and Matt Lucas

Leeds Amateur Operatic Society was one of 11 groups chosen by Macintosh to perform Les Miserables, which ran at Leeds Grand Theatre from 3-12 April alongside.

Wakefield West Riding Theatre Company and Bradford's Buttershaw St Paul's AODS also took part.

More than 400 people auditioned for the show, which featured a 17-piece live orchestra.

Ryan Brown was among the 300-strong choir at the Royal Variety Performance. He said it was a "huge moment".

"Stepping out down into that aisle facing the Royal Family was absolutely surreal. I almost forgot to sing.

"If you're interesting in joining a choir look at where it can take you, you start in a school choir like we all did and now I'm at the Royal Albert Hall.

"Whenever you sing as part of a group it brings so much happiness and you can really get a lot out of performing as a group of people."

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