
Matt Lucas pulls out of Les Miserables mid-show due to voice ‘deserting' him
The 51-year old English actor joined the Les Miserables-Arena Spectacular tour, and was performing in Australia when he could not continue for the second act during one of the shows.
In a post shared on Instagram on Friday, the comedian said that throughout his 30-year career he has never had to 'bow out' during a performance.
He said: 'I've been having a magical time in Les Miserables in arenas in Sydney and Melbourne.
'In over 30 years I've never had to bow out during a performance but tonight, as I was singing Master Of The House, I could feel my voice deserting me, so if Thenardier looked very different in Act 2, that was because the amazing Connor Jones took over.
'I'm now in bed resting up, and hope to be back on stage soon.'
Lucas portrays innkeeper Thenardier in the musical and began the Australian leg of the tour on April 30 in Sydney, with performances scheduled in Melbourne from May 14 until May 25 before moving to Brisbane.
Matt Lucas was forced to pull out of the show (Ian West/PA)
He is best known for the comedy sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, which he co-wrote and starred in alongside David Walliams.
The pair now host a podcast together, Making A Scene With Matt Lucas And David Walliams, where the two comedians relive scenes from their famous guests' lives while also discussing who would play them in a film, what kind of movie their life would be and if the hypothetical films would be a box office hit or a flop.
He was also a co-host on The Great British Bake Off but stepped down in December 2022 after presenting three series alongside fellow comedian and actor Noel Fielding.
Lucas recently appeared in the the Gladiator sequel starring Irish actor Paul Mescal and also joined the 2023 film Wonka, a prequel to the much-loved Roald Dahl story, which saw Timothee Chalamet play the title role.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
14 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper suffers painful injury as he updates fans from A&E
Kaleb took to his Instagram Stories to outline his exact injury medical emergency Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper suffers painful injury as he updates fans from A&E CLARKSON'S Farm star Kaleb Cooper has revealed he's in A&E after suffering a painful injury. The 26-year-old, who is Jeremy Clarkson's handy-man on the hit Amazon Prime series, was rushed to hospital following a game of football. Advertisement 3 Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper has revealed he's in hospital Credit: PA 3 He captured a snap of his swollen ankle on social media Credit: Instagram 3 Kaleb, 26, then told how he had fractured his ankle Credit: Instagram Kaleb captured his swollen ankle on a video captured to her Instagram page, before revealing he had suffered a fracture. The farming contractor then showcased his limb clad in a black protective boot following an X-Ray, and simply commented: "Not good." Yet a video uploaded shortly afterwards offered more hope for Clarkson's Farm fans, showing the Diddly Squat Farm employee hobbling around in a checked shirt. He told the camera: 'I may be hobbling around as I've fractured my ankle, but I'll still be at the 3 Counties Show on the Sunday, setting up on the Thursday. Advertisement "I'll be doing talks throughout the day, and Hawkestone Cider will be there. So, do pop along and say hello. I'm looking forward to it.' "Even though I may be hobbling around I'll be there - don't you worry! I'll be there." He then proved it was back to work as normal as he captured some hens in their coop. Kaleb's profile rocketed to fame following the release of the show in 2021. Advertisement


New Statesman
33 minutes ago
- New Statesman
A new era for the New Statesman
Welcome to a new era of the New Statesman. I hope it will be much like the last, updated for our new age. 'We do not propose… to ignore the tradition long associated with English weekly reviews,' wrote the first editor of this journal, Clifford Sharp, in the Leader of the very first issue in 1913: 'But our critical standpoint will be fresh.' As then, so now. There is something a little daunting about assuming a role once held by the likes of Sharp, Kingsley Martin, Paul Johnson and, of course, Jason Cowley. In fact, rather like Keir Starmer – the subject of this week's cover story – before the general election, I feel as though I have been handed some beautiful Ming vase which I must protect until I pass it on to the next trustee in years to come, dusted off and – I hope – newly polished. An editor can dream. For much of the last few months, I have been absorbing myself in the magazine's history and picking the brains of those who know it best. A special thank you must go to Tom Gatti, the magazine's outgoing acting editor. The result is before you: an issue I hope is true to all that has made the magazine great, but fresh all the same. We have made no drastic alterations. All the great writers you have come to love are there: Kate Mossman, Nicholas Lezard, Andrew Marr, Hannah Barnes. The changes are gentle and true to the title's history. How could I do otherwise? This is the magazine of Virginia Woolf and Martin Amis, not to mention Mehdi Hasan, Stephen Bush, Patrick Maguire and Helen Lewis. We were founded as a weekly review of politics and literature, and remain so. Only now we cover more. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed a change to the strapline: the New Statesman, reviewing politics and culture since 1913. We are a magazine of writers, but one that must look good too, as you can see from this week's extraordinary front cover put together by our head of design, Erica Weathers. Here is the Prime Minister as few have seen him, thanks to the wizardry of photographer Phil Sharp, and our creative editor, Gerry Brakus. Starmer himself is the central focus of this issue, a man of far deeper emotions than I had expected. My profile of this most normal, and abnormal, of prime ministers is here. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Elsewhere, we have an expanded Commons Confidential and a refreshed culture section, now called The New Society – a nod to the magazine of the same name that was absorbed into the New Statesman in 1988. We have a few new additions: a sketch, written this week by the magazine's new deputy editor, Will Lloyd, a new column from Lamorna Ash and, to close the magazine, a piece 'From the Archives'. This week it features a ferocious polemic by Paul Johnson from 1977, castigating the government of Jim Callaghan one year into his premiership. Elsewhere, the talented Nicholas Harris finds himself overwhelmed by nostalgia as he chats to Geoff Dyer about a lost England. Sondos Sabra details the everyday horror of life in Gaza with a dispatch of piercing tenderness. James Marriott offers a eulogy to English literature, which he believes is fading from our culture. To round off the edition we have a hopeful dispatch from Syria by David Miliband, columns from Finn McRedmond and Rachel Cunliffe, and a Diary taking us behind the scenes of Donald Trump's America from His Majesty's most loyal ambassador, Peter Mandelson. Over the coming weeks and months there will be much more to come, but the essence of the magazine will never change. 'We shall deal with all political, social, religious and intellectual questions; but in doing so we shall be bound by no ties of party, class or creed,' declared the Leader over a century ago. A spirit of detachment was required, it argued. 'The cultivation of such a spirit and its deliberate application to matters of current controversy is the task which the New Statesman has set for itself.' It is the task to which I happily recommit the magazine 112 years later. [See also: What Keir Starmer can't say] Related


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
West Lothian Film Festival announces partnership with breast cancer support charity based in Bathgate
Breast Friends and Family emerged as the winner from 30 nominated organisations West Lothian Film Festival has confirmed that its first official charity partner is Breast Friends and Family. The announcement follows more than five months of public voting and 2,164 individual ballots cast, and the partnership will run for the next three years. Nominations opened in October last year and the public were invited to nominate and vote via social media for local causes they felt deserved recognition and support. There were 30 organisations in the running, with Breast Friends and Family emerging as the winner after securing more than 700 public votes. Breast Friends and Family aims to support patients through a breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Based on Glasgow Road in Bathgate they provide practical, emotional, and peer support for breast cancer patients across West Lothian. From its office, affectionately known as The Heart, the charity distributes treatment support bags, runs wellbeing sessions, and offers a vital sense of solidarity to those facing diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. West Lothian Film Festival has attracted 306 films — an unprecedented increase from last year's 82 submissions. All submissions are currently in the hands of the 20 strong volunteer judging panel. Festival Director Christopher McPhillips said: 'Every nominated charity had something meaningful to offer West Lothian, and we're grateful to have celebrated them all over the past five months. With 747 votes, Breast Friends and Family clearly resonated with our community, representing compassion, strength, and unity. 'The people of West Lothian chose them as their charity of choice, and we're proud to use our platform to support and celebrate the incredible work they do. While it's been an honour to spotlight 30 brilliant organisations, we're equally proud to now walk alongside Breast Friends and Family as our official partner for the next three years.' As part of the three-year charity partnership, the festival has committed to: full marketing and promotional support, volunteer days from the festival team, and a dedicated Breast Friends and Family showcase day at each edition of the festival from 2026 to 2028. Hazel Orr of Breast Friends and Family said: 'We were delighted to be nominated. The 30 nominated charities are all worthy charities and community groups, so we knew we faced some strong competition. 'On first meeting Christopher, we realised that this could be a fantastic opportunity for Breast Friends and Family, with so many ways he could help promote our charity through the film festival as well as his business associates and connections. It made us think about how we connect with our followers through social media, through our own Facebook and Instagram platforms and how we could encourage our followers to like, vote and share posts. 'We grabbed the opportunity offered by the film festival and Condor Entertainment, to go along on one of their media days, to record an interview about how the charity came about and what it provides. "We loved sharing the finished result. And, we took advantage of the leaflets and posters provided by Artos Digital and Clear Colour, not just taking them to our events but sharing with work colleagues, neighbours, family and friends, at every opportunity. 'Thank you, Christopher, and the West Lothian Film Festival for this fabulous opportunity, thank you to the 2000+ people who voted and to those who voted for Breast Friends and Family. There's also an online fundraiser been set up by the film festival for Breast Friends and Family: