Longest theatrical run of a musical in the West End

The longest run for a West End musical is that of Les Misérables, which opened at the Barbican Centre in London, UK, on 8 October 1985. The production, which was directed and adapted by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, has transferred three times, first from the Barbican to the Palace Theatre, then to the Queen’s Theatre (now the Sondheim Theatre). It also ran for four months as a “Staged Concert” at the Gielgud Theatre while the Sondheim Theatre was being refurbished in 2019. The production is still running at the Sondheim as of 12 November 2025, 40 years 35 days after it debuted.

Les Misérables is based on the 1862 Victor Hugo novel of the same name. It was originally adapted as a musical by French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg in collaboration with Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. It was first staged in French, opening for a short run at the Palais des Sports in Paris, France, on 28 September 1980.

The musical was picked up by British theatrical impresario Cameron Mackintosh in 1983. He commissioned Herbert Kretzmer and James Fenton to write new English-language lyrics and secured a creative team that included directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird, set designer John Napier, costume designer Andreane Neofitou and musical supervisor John Cameron.

The show, starring Colm Wilkinson, Roger Allam and Patti LuPone, Alun Armstrong, Frances Ruffelle and Michael Ball opened at London’s Barbican Theatre to mixed reviews on 8 October 1985, but was a hit with audiences. In addition to the West End run, Les Mis ran for 16 years on Broadway and has had multiple successful tours and runs in other cities. It is estimated that the show has been seen by 130 million people worldwide as of 2025.