Coming In From The Outback

With productions on the go from Blackpool to Tokyo, producer Cameron Mackintosh has created for himself a unique, multi-million pound world of Miserable, Phantastic Cats. But it's not as inhuman as this might sound. For, actors' unions permitting, Mackintosh has established an enlightened policy of moving his performers around the world to overcome some of the problems that long runs inevitably bring.

At the moment, for instance, at least ten Australians from Cats and Les Miserables have moved on to shows in Britain, America and Germany - even Trevor Nunn's assistant on Les Miserables in Australia, Gale Edwards, was given a ticket to Vienna to stage the first Continental production of the Victor Hugo musical.

On stage, though, it has tended to be chorus performers who can fit in most smoothly elsewhere. But now Philip Quast, arguably the best Javert in the world, is being transported back to the mother production of Les Miserables in London to continue his blind pursuit of convict number 24601 for at least six months from June 5.

Quast, a ram-rod straight six-footer [who'd had a mixed career as "an actor who could hold a tune" in the likes of The Threepenny Opera, The Begger's Opera and Candide; combined with urban comedy films such as Emoh Ruo and Around the World in 80 Ways] achieved apothesis as Javert in Sydney. Within days of the 1987 opening he was hailed as Musical Performer of the Year by Sydney theatre critics. And half way through 1988, Cameron Mackintosh picked him unequivocally to sing Javert on the world recording of Les Miserables along with Aussies as Fantine and Enjolras.

Not that Quast was uncritical of the experience. "They went for terrible fast tempi..seeming just to want to get through the big songs," he comments. "I feel I lost a bit of my character on the way." And Quast's ability to establish some sympathy for the heartless Javert was one of the strengths of his portrayal, making his suicide in the Seine a peak, after which the show dipped into sentimentality. "I believe the hunt for Valjean is what the show is all about," Quast assesses, "and I see Javert in the same vein as Iago or Mephistopheles..a really great character."

"I was helped tremendously by the unsung hero of the team that created the show, Herbie Kretzmer. His lyrics do so much for both character and depth of the whole piece. Lines like 'My friends, my friends forgive me/That I live and you are gone' are really beautiful."

But, despite that beauty and his success, Quast felt at the end of 12 months in Sydney [and eight shows a week] tht he wanted out. "Perhaps I'm a bit obsessive, but I think I kept up my levels of emotion all that time..and that's pretty exhausting. Doing a mini-series in the break I've had since November, I found it very hard to create a new character. And now I'm paranoid that I won't be able to sing Javert again."

Combine those concerns with the realisation that, after four years, the London production of Les Miserables is pretty much a machine for tourists and the coach trade; ignorance of whom he'll be singing with, or even the full names of the rehearsal director ("Mr. Caswell") who'll be easing him into the production - and one has to ask why he is London bound?

"Here's certainly home," he avows. "I'm really not looking for career opportunities in London. But one just can't turn down an offer like this. Any actor would seize the chance to work in an environment like the West End. I hope that at least I'll be seen - if not reviewed," he added wistfully. Mind you, the fact that the proposed film of Les Miserables is being cast cannot be discounted from Quast's mind, even though he believes that, as the youngest Javert in the world, he suffers a disadvantage that make-up may not be able to overcome.

"I love doing film more than anything," Quast admits, "though I've not had too many great ones. In fact, the thing I shall miss most in Australia is presenting Play School - which I've been doing on and off for seven years." Many top Australian actors have been associated with this ABC Television perennial for kids and hate to give it away whatever their successes.

Something Quast can take with him though, is his writing. "If only I was computer literate," he bemoans. "Then I wouldn't have to cart a bloody manuscript with me. But I've got publishers interested in a collection of short stories - so I'd better try and sort them out between shows in London."