Hans-Peter Janssens

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Born:
19 March 1962 in Bruge, Belgium

Les Misérables in London:
Jean Valjean 9 October 2000 - 27 July 2002
Jean Valjean 2 December 2002 -  

Les Misérables other places:
Jean Valjean in Belgium

Les Misérables recording:
Jean Valjean on the Belgian cast recording

Headshots:
   

Pictures:
Click on the pictures to see them in larger formats

Reviews:

Maria Deroose from Belgium: He's simply the best.

Carine Cattellion from Belgium: I've seen him several times in different roles and he's absolutely the best!!!!

Louise from England: I had heard a lot of stuff about Hans both good and bad but I thought he wasn't too terrible. His acting was a bit stiff but no where near as bad as he could have been! But his eyes look a bit scary...

Thomas from Sweden: I don't like him. 

Tetsuro from Japan: Just wonderful!

Anna from England: I think Hans-Peter is a very good Valjean. He did start off a little stiff, but he is really beginning to grow in the part and seems to get better with each performance. I for one am glad that he is staying after the cast change and have no complaints about his portrayal of this character. The electricity in Confrontation is amazing. He may not be everyone's favourite, but if you give him a chance he'll probably grow on you!!

Themistocles from Argentina: I saw Janssens' Valjean and I think his character looked very true and passionate. I really liked his performance on Who am I? it was full of power and action. Well done Janssens, you are the man of the play!

Ineke from the Netherlands: Wooden, although his voice is ok. There are a lot of other people around who can do it a lot better than he does.

Frida from Sweden: He was great as Jean Valjean but I agree with Louise that his eyes seems a bit scary. And so he has much vibration in his voice but that is still quite good.

Maria Deroose from Belgium (again): I've seen him now for the second time as the English Valjean and he was just great. His voice was really touching. I got tears in my eyes when he started to sing. This was a performance that I'll always remember. I'm also really glad that he's staying until November and I hope that I get to see him once again in the London Lesmis.

Benjamin Kiley from Mansfield Ohio: A very well job indeed. I played Jean Valjean here in the States and the wonderful thing is I'm only 14 years old but can hit a high E flat so I know how hard it is. I also have done Jesus Christ Superstar and The amazing technicolor dreamcoat and also Evita. Well done

Christina from Delaware, USA: I think he is cute and a great singer. I would love to sing with him.

Enjep from London: I really dislike HP's Valjean. No offence, but he pronounces a lot of his words wrong so much so that it makes it unbearably noticeable. I personally think he is wooden, stiff and wrong for the role. It is like, "Now I'm gonna kneel down, now I'm gonna run over here, NOOOO back again!". Another thing. Does he actually know the words to the end dying scene?? He sings like he doesn't and it actually bores me to tears! Sorry Hans Peter Janssens, have to do better to impress me mate!

Cristina from Italy: I completely disagree with Enjep. He's great. His interpretation is full of pathos, something that maybe Enjep's never heard about, it comes from Greek and means something like passion. And his voice is absolutely impressive. The whole show is beautiful, I wanted to see it again 6 days after I first went there, and I'm sure I'll be back there very soon even because there are a couple of new actors and I'm curious to listen to them. But Hans Peter's surely 1 of my favourite and although I'm not an expert in the field I do think he's quite good, as shown by the applauses he gets at the end of the show every time. No offence Enjep! But opinions may be different!

Carine Cattellion from Antwerp-Belgium: On July 14th I saw Les Mis and Hans Peter was superb. He has a remarkable voice and his interaction with Michael McCarthy is extremely well done, glaring at eachother as if they would kill eachother right on the spot. Tender with Cosette, furious, angry and desperate when needed. It was good to see him as Valjean again and his BHH send shivers down my spine, also his Who Am I was very strong. He's obvious the right man on the right place...

Garry from London: I saw Hans in May as Jean Valjean and I must say that he wasnt very good which was a shame. His singing voice was very poor and he was dribbling.

Sarah Riley from Winchester: I saw Janssens last night, and a great performance it was. He was just thrilling and I was in tears. Great, touching voice full of emotion. I loved the way he got gradually older... very moving.

Claire from USA: I didn't think he was that good. He was a good actor but his voice bugged me. Too shrill and too much vibretto.

Anne Vanden Broeck from Belgium: In my opion the best actor ever. He has a great voice and his acting is so good. I hope he'll stay for a while.

S. Booth from Scandinavia: I think he is brilliant, although I thought Peter Karrie was 10x better. Peter Karrie is a great man! We could all learn a lot from him and his prophets and Dewey and the Saints.

Vidar Markussen from Norway: Absolutely exellent, brilliant and breath-taking. Sings the heart out!!

Jessie from London: He's a good JVJ. Not an amazing one but he does give a nice performance I find he is a little stiff at first and does not add in the little gestures like Simon Bowman or Andrew Morten did. His singing is high quality though, but his accent keeps sliding in occasionaly. Like for instance in the confrontation (which by the way is very good) he said "my race is not yet Von" instead of my race is not yet Won.

Dr. Tormentil from NY: I saw him in the luck, the power of, la mancha, chess, sacco & vanzetti, the phantom, jackyl & hide and les mis... The man is worlds greatest schooled voice that walks throught the corridors of musical. His performances are possesed!!! His simple the best!

Hannah from USA: I saw him in December of 2000, and I thought he was wonderful... He might not be the best part for the role, but come on, you have to be outstanding in the first place to be able to sing Valjean. I really loved his voice, and Bring Him Home nearly makes me cry every time!!

Kay from England but live in Belgium: I've seen him several times and I think he's great. Wonderful voice! Can't wait to see him again.

TR Wolf from Manchester, UK: I'm just not the biggest fan of him... He screams and yells his lines too much, and often mumbles them so they cant be understood, as though everyone knows what he's meant to be saying. He is good at some songs, but he'd screech too much and make me hold my ears! He looked the part though! :)

Emma Toulson from the UK: Absolutely amazing

Sheena King from the UK, but living in Belgium: I had the privilege of watching Hans Peter as Jean Valjean on March 12 2002, he was wonderful and I was bowled over! His acting was superb and his singing sublime! He didn't 'play' Jean Valjean, he WAS Jean Valjean - and I fell in love with the character! I even waited in the rain at the stagedoor to personally thank him for his brilliant portrayal, and what a nice man! I think his talent derserves to be seen and heard by a much wider audience.  It would be great to have him record in English - the meaning he gives to the words is wonderful! I'd love to see him perform again. Sheer brilliance! A Smitten Fan!

Barbara Dirrhammer from Austria: It was a really great performance, it was perfect!!!

Related links:
More about Hans Peter Janssens on our site
Anne's Hans Peter Janssens fanpage

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