In the longest time that I've played the role Thénardier, I've always patterned my portrayal after Barry James. From the character singing to the make up to the facial expression. Alun Armstrong is also very good, but for me, his portrayal is effective only to the Western audience. The Asian audience, most especially the Filipinos, are more visual so they should see Thénardier aside from listening to his lines. For me, Barry James is not as radical as the late Leo Burmester, and not as passive as Alun.
For Madame Thénardier, I loved Jenny Galloway in the 10th Anniversary, but was disappointed with her in the 25th. She seemed so.. uninterested and bored. Yes, she tried a different approach but it was disappointing to say the least. My favorite madame for now would be Jennifer Butt of the original Broadway cast. I love how clear her words are, and she was able to portray the character effectively without sacrificing quality and clarity of singing.
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