For years, Alfie Boe has played characters, most famously Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. However, he has also toured extensively as a solo artist and alongside other theatre greats such as Michael Ball, dazzling audiences with theatre standards, pop classics and everything in between. For this latest show, Facing Myself, Boe stripped back the layers to reveal what he describes as the true Alfie Boe through the music that has shaped both his life and career.

“I’d like to break down the fourth wall and show you me rather than the guy building a barricade and stealing a loaf of bread,” he said.

The Sydney Opera House Concert Hall felt like the perfect venue for Boe as he showed off his rich vocals to a decent-sized audience within the iconic venue. With Vivid lighting up the Harbour City outside, Boe walked onto the stage as an unassuming presence in casual black attire that befitted a rock star more than a classical crossover vocalist, which proved emblematic of what the evening would entail.

Boe opened the night with a fantastic rendition of “Mambo Italiano”, delivering the technically difficult and fast-paced lyrics with plenty of shape and character, immediately setting the tone for the evening. He then followed this up with a wonderful version of “Volare”, where he showcased some exceptional sustained notes, although the attempted audience participation was a little awkward, with Boe turning the microphone towards the crowd only to receive a fairly muted response but he handled this with good humour and charm.

“It’s great to be here doing my own show, it’s only taken 50 years.”

The concert then shifted towards some of the songs that defined his childhood, including Lonnie Donegan’s “Don’t You Rock Me Daddy-O” and Roger Miller’s “King of the Road”. This proved to be a slightly weaker portion of the set, with Boe’s classical voice not lending itself quite as naturally to the blues and country-inspired material however the audience responded warmly to the variety. There was a degree of cognitive dissonance seeing Boe strumming a guitar and appearing more like the frontman of a country band than one of musical theatre’s most celebrated performers and while this was fine for a handful of songs, it did begin to feel somewhat repetitive, with numbers such as “From a Jack to a King” and his Elvis Presley tribute “Suspicious Minds” making the country and blues segment feel a little overextended.

Towards the end of the first act, Boe brought the show back towards musical theatre with a heartfelt rendition of “Falling Slowly” from Once alongside Phantom star Amy Manford and, of course, his iconic performance of “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables. This was clearly what much of the audience had been waiting for and Boe delivered a superb performance, as he slightly quickened the tempo but still retained all of the warmth and emotional depth that captivated audiences when he played Jean Valjean, which served as a reminder of why he remains so beloved in the role.

Following a powerful rendition of “He Lives in You” from The Lion King, Boe closed the first act with a cover of John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice”. The song suited his voice well but was unfortunately impacted by technical issues, with Boe appearing to fall out of sync with the prerecorded strings and choir backing track, leading to a moment of confusion in the room. Indeed, technical difficulties seemed to plague the evening from the outset as there appeared to be some frantic last-minute testing before the curtain rose and both Boe and special guest Manford experienced ongoing issues involving audio levels, reverb and monitoring. For a venue such as the Sydney Opera House, this was surprising and seemed visibly frustrating for those on stage. Nevertheless, Boe handled the issues professionally, even if they occasionally detracted from the performance throughout the night.

The concert lifted considerably in the second act with Boe sharing his original song “White Lily Fields” before launching into a fantastic rendition of “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton. Accompanied by a story about playing darts with Lin-Manuel Miranda while Boe was performing in Les Misérables and Miranda was starring in Hamilton next door, the number suited Boe’s voice perfectly and it would be fascinating to see him tackle the role of King George III in a full production at some point. More importantly, it injected an energy into the concert that had occasionally been lacking during the first act, with the return to musical theatre proving particularly welcome.

Boe also gave Manford several opportunities to perform solo material but unfortunately, these moments were less successful (due to song choice mostly). Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” did not entirely suit her voice and failed to showcase the beautiful, lyrical soprano qualities she displayed so effectively in Phantom, instead highlighting some weaknesses in her lower register. More puzzling was her solo performance of “All I Ask of You”, which felt like an odd programming choice given that Boe was present and the song would almost certainly have worked more effectively as a duet (as it does in the musical). The audience appeared somewhat bewildered by the decision and understandably so, but it was still great to have Manford on stage, even if some other songs would have suited her better.

One of the highlights of the evening came when Boe and Manford reunited for an extraordinary performance of “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge. Their voices blended seamlessly, creating a rich and beautiful sound with excellent tonal balance and chemistry, with Boe’s classical tenor combining beautiful with Manford’s rich higher register. Boe closed the concert with a Frankie Valli medley and a stirring rendition of Snow Patrol’s “Run” before returning for an encore featuring a Queen medley that brought the audience to its feet.

Overall, this was a strong concert that demonstrated the breadth of Alfie Boe’s talents. While some of the pop and country material worked well and was clearly appreciated by the audience, it was equally clear that musical theatre remains Boe’s natural home, with the theatrical selections being by far the strongest moments of the night, particularly “Bring Him Home” and his duet of “Come What May” with Amy Manford. With Boe expected to step away from Les Misérables in the near future, opportunities to hear him perform “Bring Him Home” may become increasingly rare and it is absolutely worth hearing while audiences still can. More than anything, this concert offered a genuine window into Alfie Boe as both an artist and a person and for that reason the audience left thoroughly impressed. A fun, varied and often moving evening at the Sydney Opera House.

Rating: ★★★★

Alfie Boe – Sydney Opera House – 4 June 2026