The production will then continue to Manchester (Palace Theatre, Jan. 19-Feb. 13), Norwich (Theatre Royal, Feb. 16-March 20), Birmingham (Hippodrome, March 23-April 17), Edinburgh (Playhouse, April 20-May 15) and Paris (Chatelet, May 26-July 4), with further venues to be announced.

The new production will be directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley, inspired by the works of Victor Hugo and John Napier. Original costumes are by Andreane Neofitou, with lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Mick Potter.

In a press statement, producer Cameron Mackintosh said, "To celebrate 25 years of Les Misérables I cannot think of a better gift to the show than to deliver a brand new production, just like I did with my critically acclaimed national tours of Mary Poppins and Miss Saigon. For this new production, not only has Victor Hugo inspired Boublil and Schönberg's legendary musical adaptation, he has also provided, through some of his extraordinary artwork, the inspiration for the spectacular new sets."

Les Misérables originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on Oct. 8, 1985, before transferring to the West End's Palace Theatre on Dec. 4, 1985. It moved to its current home at the Queen's Theatre on April 3, 2004; when it celebrated its 21st birthday there on Oct. 8, 2006, it became the world's longest-running musical, surpassing the record previously held by Cats in London's West End.

Les Misérables has been seen by over 56 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages. There have been 34 cast recordings of Les Misérables including the multi-platinum London cast recording and the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums. The video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall Gala Concert has sold nearly two million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling musical videos ever in the U.K. There are over 2,000 productions of the Les Misérables School's Edition scheduled or being performed by over 100,000 school children in the U.K., U.S. and Australia, making it the most successful musical ever produced in schools. Tickes are currently on sale for the runs in Cardiff (www.wmc.org.uk), Norwich (www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk) and Paris (www.chatelet-theatre.com). The runs in Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh will go on sale soon. For further details, visit www.lesmis.com.