First of all, I must inform the reader that I know Les Mis (as it is known in theatre circles) inside out and back to front, probably because my father is head electrician at the Palace theatre London where it is on. I've known the story ever since I was old enough to understand it, but have only seen it twice...and am due to see it a third time. The more you know about the storyline, the more you enjoy it, as it certainly helps if you know what's going on in the rather complicated plot, as it is possibly quite difficult to understand because it is all sung. Speaking of the songs...they are really fabulous. emotive, powerful, in some cases funny and always mind-bogglingly well-written. They are also in some cases well performed, but it really depends on the cast! My father would, of course, disagree with me, having watched it almost every night for the past 15 years or so, but nevertheless, a great watch. The only disdvantage is the length, which can be tedious if you're too tired or not in the modd, but if you genuinly are a musicals fan, go see it, at least twice!