Nobody really takes it seriously when English people use a French accent.
Its a sort of comedy accent.
Director Tom Shankland wanted to give the classic tale a universal appeal.
Credit: Robert Viglasky/© Lookout Point/MASTERPIECE
Tom said, Okay, were all British, theres no point in pretending to be French.
Its about the dispossessed, and they exist in all countries, notes West.
He basically set it in England and all the accents correspond to our English versions of French accents.
Most of the Parisians in the show, including Javert, speak in Metropolitan London accents, West explains.
Thats why I wanted Valjean to have a Yorkshire accent.
Hes from the country; hes not from the city.
West points out that the casting choices reflected this more universal telling of the tale.
This story does have immense meaning and resonance to everybody still as we see from the musical.
Les Miserablespremieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. on PBS.
