Alfie Boe admits its nearly time to "hang up the barricade jacket" and say goodbye to Les Misérables

Boe has also performed the role at the West End, Broadway, and most recently travelled with the Arena Spectacular World Tour. This week, he returns once again for the show's sold-out 40th anniversary gala.

With such a revolutionary CV attached to his name, it is only natural that Boe should feel close to the character. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, he said: "I'm quite protective of the role of Jean Valjean. It's a role I've embodied quite heavily and it's done so much for my career. I still get joy from it just as much as I did when I first performed.

"I suppose I'm getting close to hanging up the barricade jacket and calling it a day, but it's always going to be very dear to my heart."

Boe said it was the music of Les Mis in particular that resonated so deeply with him, calling it an "absolute gift". But I wondered why, as the longest running musical in the world, the show had come to mean so much to so many people.

He answered: "I think people can connect to every character in some way and it reflects so many circumstances in life.

"For me I've played this character throughout lots of different stages of my life and my connection to him has changed over time. Like, I became a father at the very start of my run in Les Mis, and the older I get, the more time I have as a father, the deeper I can relate to him."

Looking back, the highlight of Boe's Les Mis career was the "sensational" experience of the 25th anniversary concert in 2010, where he performed to a packed O2 Arena alongside the likes of Samantha Barks and Matt Lucas.

Now, both are due to return for the upcoming gala alongside Boe's long-time singing partner Michael Ball.

Having performed together so often over the years, I was curious whether Boe had a favourite moment between him and Ball: "I love doing the final scene I have with Michael in the sewers," he said, "When I've rescued Marius, it's a real powerful, climactic moment of their relationship and their connection.

"Michael likes it too because that's the end of his performance and he can go sit in the dressing room with glass to wine, while I've still got 25 minutes left!"

Although, more seriously, he added: "We enjoy our time together, we really do. He's such a good guy to work with and he was in the original cast so to have him back in the show is wonderful."

Shifting over to the rest of the cast, Boe confirmed fondly that Les Misérables has always come with a "family atmosphere" for him.

He said: "It really is a family and as the lead role this follows on. I feel such a responsibility to be a team leader of the cast and to protect people. I try to really look out for everybody and listen to people's issues and problems, and I used to sit in my dressing room with my door wide open for people to come and sit and then have a chat about whatever they wanted, and it was lovely."

"It's almost like as a team, as a family, we've united over something pretty damn special. We have to get through a performance of Les Misérables as a family, so you connect in a very big way."

This connection – between Boe, the cast and the characters of Les Mis – will surely last for decades more, but if the singer is truly planning to leave the role for good soon, he made it clear what his message to audiences would be:

"Embrace it. Embrace the journey. Embrace the music. Embrace the emotions. You don't have to know anything or go out and read the book before you see it. Just come along, enjoy the music, feel every single emotion.

"If you can embrace every single emotion it will touch your heart and you'll want to keep coming back."

The Les Misérables 40th anniversary shows are running until 3rd November at the Sondheim Theatre, alongside the special anniversary gala on 8th October.

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