As Alfie Boe finished his final note in “Bring Him Home” on the opening night of the staged concert tour of Les Misérables in Sydney, the audience observed something of a rarity in musical theatre: a moment of complete silence where one could hear a pin drop. 

In the moment that the music stops, rapturous audience cheering generally commences, if it hadn’t already begun as the song was concluding. For a moment of silence to be inserted into a theatre performance, there has to be something truly special that takes the audience’s breath away before the inevitable cheers. In this regard, Boe has a quality that few others have, possessing an ability to completely captivate a room, leaving them spellbound by his mastery of his instrument. 

Just over a year on from his stellar performance in Les Misérables, Boe will be returning to Australia on a brand new solo tour, playing some of Australia’s finest venues to promote his new album “Facing Myself.” While Australia recognises Boe as Jean Valjean, Boe wants this tour to showcase his work in a new light. 

“The reason I’ve called the tour Facing Myself is because it’s a chance to show my fans the real Alfie Boe,” he says. “I’m not hiding behind a character or the glamour of a stage setting. I want the house lights up so you can see every line on my face.”

The show will feature theatre standards, as well as some original gems and some special collaborations with some of Boe’s favourite artists, including Amy Manford and some additional stars yet to be announced.

“I’ll be doing a huge rendition of highlights from Les Misérables. There’ll be Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and lots of musical theatre numbers split between myself and Manford. There’ll be a wide range and it could be different every single night.”

Boe is particularly excited to be returning to the Sydney Opera House, where he holds fond memories of appearing alongside the late Olivia Newton-John in 2012. 

“I was her guest on her show and did my own little set as well. She was so delightful, a wonderful lady, an amazing performer, an incredible voice and a beautiful person inside and out.” 

“Getting to know her offstage was delightful as well. During my residency in Las Vegas, I got a beautiful message from her. Sadly she was quite ill at the time, but she sent a lovely message wishing me luck. She was absolutely beautiful. Such a memory and one that I hold close to my heart.”

The show also acts as somewhat of a turning point in Boe’s own career, with the Lancashire-born tenor revealing that, although Les Misérables looks highly likely to return to Australia in the near future, he will be hanging up his 24601 uniform at the Royal Albert Hall next year. 

“I’ve been performing the role for 15 or 16 years,” he says. “Next year there are special UK performances connected with the [Les Misérables] tour, including at the Royal Albert Hall. So, at the moment, my final performances will be at the Royal Albert Hall next year.”

While the commercial success of musical theatre in Australia is somewhat patchy at the moment, with the industry being rocked this week by the curtailing of the Back to the Future tour, Boe believes that, more broadly, the future of musical theatre around the world remains strong, although he would like to see a resurgence of the megamusical-style productions which launched him into theatre superstardom. 

“There are some wonderful musicals out there, I think musical theatre is going to survive,” he says. “But I don’t think there will ever be a show that ticks the box the way Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, West Side Story and Oliver did. I don’t think those sorts of musicals are out there anymore. That’s what I’m observing and I would love for somebody to write a classic like that.”

With Opera Australia set to stage Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour again next year after a critically acclaimed production of Miss Saigon in 2023, megamusicals are very much in vogue with audiences and opera companies alike (even sometimes at the expense of traditional opera programming). For Boe, this is a movement in which Australia is at the forefront and an important bridge between the worlds of opera and musical theatre which will ensure the continued sustainability of both disciplines. 

“That’s where you guys are ahead of us in the UK. Apart from English National Opera, [most UK opera houses] don’t open their worlds to musical theatre which is a shame. If opera houses had a little bit more of a broad-minded attitude, it would work in their favour. The classical audience is dying a little bit, but the music won’t. You just have to perform it and put it out there in front of the public eye.”

“I think Les Misérables could be within the season of the Royal Opera House. I think it would work phenomenally. It would stand side by side with a Verdi opera or a Puccini opera or a Wagner opera. It would be great for their market, great for their listeners and great for their house. Classical music will never die, the romance behind that music and the stories are phenomenal. These pieces stand side by side with Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon.”

As to what the audience can expect when Boe comes down under next year, the singer puts it best himself. 

“If you buy a ticket, you’re coming to see and connect with the real Alfie Boe, not [someone] hiding behind a glamorous set, a mask, or a character. You’ll see everything I’m about as a performer and as a person. I want everyone to turn up with that in mind, to [be] themselves, to throw questions, to stand up, dance and have a really good time.”

Alfie Boe plays in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide in June 2026. For more information, click here.

Les Misérables photo credits: Daniel Boud and Danny Kaan