British producer Cameron Mackintosh has started auditions across China for the Mandarin version of the hit musical Les Miserables.

Thirty roles in the musical will be played by actors and actresses chosen during six months of auditions. Five musical experts from London's Westend, who have taken part in the production of different versions of Les Miserables, will come to Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Beijing for the casting, along with Mackintosh himself.

The casting is open to the public, and anyone who was enthusiastic or experienced in musicals were welcomed to have a try, said a spokesman for the China Musical Theatre Company, the company founded by Mackintosh and local investors last month.

"However, it will strictly follow standards of musical production," he said, adding that it's different from TV talent shows, such as "Super Girls", in which anyone can take part in.

Prospective performers can apply on www.caeg.cn. About 200 people will be selected for professional musical training with British experts and some will gain contracts to play in the Chinese version of Les Miserables, which is expected to open in November 2008.

It will be the first production of the Sino-British joint venture, which plans to produce Chinese versions of hits, such as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Miss Saigon, My Fair Lady, the Lion King, in the next ten years, as well as to train local directors, writers, actors and theatrical technicians.

The Chinese version will be the 22nd language version of the Les Miserables, the longest running musical in the world, which has been staged in 261 cities in 39 countries.
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(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2007)