with top UK music director on blockbuster By Patricia Calnan With the news that top musical director Mark Dorrell has been successful in casting `Les Miserables', Bermuda's Gilbert & Sullivan Society has now been given the `green light' to go ahead with its proposed production at City Hall in October.

Legendary producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh (`Cats', `Phantom of the Opera' etc.) had agreed in principle, some weeks ago, that Bermuda would be given special permission to stage the blockbuster musical which is still running in London, New York and major cities around the world. This will be the first time a non-professional organisation in North America or Europe has been given performing rights.

"Amateur rights are very rarely granted,'' confirmed Mr. Dorrell during a recent visit to the Island. "Sir Cameron wrote me a very nice letter saying he would release them as long as I was actively involved in the musical preparation. The other `if', of course, was that we had to be sure that the production could be successfully cast.'' After a long weekend in which Mr. Dorrell auditioned "countless'' hopefuls, that cast list has now been announced.

Jean Valjean will be played by Ron Campbell, a professional actor who will return to his native Bermuda to take on the lead. Wayne Holt plays Javert, Philip Barnett plays Marius, and Paul Woolgar takes on the part of Enjolras.

Stephanie Butler will play Eponine, Cyanne Thomas, the role of Cosette, and the part of Fantine goes to Karen Musson. The Bishop will be played by Peter Nash, with Richard Fell as M. Thenardier and Rhona Vallender as Mme.

Thenardier.

"I am sure that the Gilbert & Sullivan Society can carry this off,'' said Mr.

Dorrell, who is currently directing the music of `Peter Pan' for the Royal National Theatre in London. "I've been coming here for about ten years now and seen several of their shows. I think I've seen the rest of them on video, and have always been very impressed. I also saw the `Broadway in Bermuda' show and was immensely impressed by that -- it was very, very good. So I'm very excited by the prospect of doing `Les Mis' here in Bermuda. And, yes,'' he added casually, "Cameron may very well come and see it.'' Mr. Dorrell's connection with the Island can be traced back to his student days at Cambridge where he met and became friends with musician and teacher Kate Ross. Ever since then, he has been an annual visitor, and is godfather to John and Kate Ross's daughter Kate.

Praising `Les Miserables', which is based on Victor Hugo's French Revolution-era novel, Mr. Dorrell stated his belief that the "very good'' story helped ensure its success. "It was first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and transferred from the Barbican Theatre to the Palace -- and is still thriving there.

It's mainly sung through, so in that sense, it is like an opera. It's an `epic' piece, the big tunes are wonderful -- that is certainly one of its strengths -- and more people have seen it than any other musical ever written! I believe it arrived on the scene at the right time because, these days, if a production proves suitable, it goes right around the world. At last count, it was playing in over 30 cities world-wide, has been on for decades, and shows absolutely no sign of ever ending!'' For the City Hall production, the musical director envisages an orchestra of around 13 or 14 players. "There is an 11-piece orchestration that was used by many of the professional companies. It was originally devised for Amsterdam where the orchestra pit is not very big -- but musically, it works very well.'' Mark Dorrell revealed he first saw the show as a student. "Since then, I've rehearsed it for Cameron many times because it's been on so long, they have to keep changing the casts.'' Mr. Dorrell's path to one of the loftiest showbiz positions in the world began by studying music at Cambridge from where he won scholarships, first to the Royal College of Music and then to the National Opera Studio.

He was on the music staff of Scottish Opera for four years before returning to London -- and the world of musicals -- where he has remained ever since. "I think my first love has always been theatre and I was always interested in vocal music -- words and music -- and that led me first to opera, then musicals.

I ended up in opera more by accident than design and I do love opera, but never intended to do it professionally -- it's where I belong, now.'' And belong, he certainly does, having since chalked up a dizzying list of achievements, most of them as musical director for `The National', one of the greatest theatre companies in the world.

Some of these include `Into the Woods', `Assassins', `Sweeney Todd' and `A Little Night Music' -- all by Stephen Sondheim and the latter starring Dame Judi Dench and Patricia Hodge. "I did `Passion' in the West End with Michael Ball who was in the original cast of `Les Mis', and I also did `Guy and Dolls' for the National with Clark Peters.'' His first contact with Sir Cameron came while working on a show called `Putting It Together.' "He was trying it out in Oxford with Diana Rigg and that's how I got to know him -- I was associate musical director for that.

Afterwards, our paths seemed to keep crossing -- the theatre is a frighteningly small world.'' Mark Dorrell's favourite show is `Sweeney Todd.' "It was a piece I always wanted to do, for some reason. I love it and was lucky enough to do the first major London revival with Julia Mackenzie, Dennis Quilley and Alun Armstrong.'' The busy director returns to Bermuda in April to finalise casting and production details.

Meanwhile, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society urgently require the use of a warehouse or large building (from July to September) where the sets of `Les Mis' can be built. Anyone able to assist is asked to contact Marjorie Stanton at 295-3218.

Mark Durrell