John Owen-Jones is a Welsh musical theatre performer from Burry Port in South Wales, United Kingdom. Trained at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, he builds his career around major West End and Broadway roles, particularly Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.

Stage career

At 26, he becomes the youngest actor to play Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Misérables. He is one of a small number of performers to play Valjean in both the West End and on Broadway, and he is the only British actor to do so. He later returns to the role in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Misérables, and also appears as part of the Valjean quartet in the finale of the show’s 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena in London.

His work as Valjean earns him the Manchester Evening News Award for Best Actor in a Visiting Production. He is also voted “Best Ever Valjean” and “Best Ever Performer in Les Misérables” in an online poll of fans.

The Phantom of the Opera

Owen-Jones first plays The Phantom in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera between 2001 and 2004. He returns to the role in 2011 and later performs as The Phantom in the new UK tour for the show’s 25th anniversary in 2012. He also appears in a special finale at the Phantom 25th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and later in a finale at the Majestic Theatre in New York to mark the musical’s 25th year on Broadway. He is the West End’s longest running Phantom, with nearly 2,000 performances in the role. His performance on the 25th anniversary tour brings a nomination for Best Actor in a Visiting Production from the Manchester Theatre Awards.

Other work

Beyond these lead musical roles, he performs extensively in theatre across the UK at venues including the National Theatre in London, the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. He also appears on television and radio in programmes including Scott and Bailey, In The Flesh, The Bill, The Royal Variety Show, Friday Night Is Music Night, Children In Need, This Morning and The Alan Titchmarsh Show. As a soloist, he gives concerts around the world, from Bangor to Bangkok.

Recordings

He releases three albums: Hallelujah in 2006, his self-titled album John Owen-Jones on the Sain label in 2009, and Unmasked in 2011.