It's not unusual for a show to get a full-house standing ovation. Especially Les Misérables, which has been raising the roof since 1985. But this isn't just any production of the Victor Hugo-inspired musical, this is post-lockdown Les Misérables. And by the end, it's hard to gauge who's happier to be basking once again in the brilliance of Claude-Michel Schönberg's music, Herbert Kretzmer's lyrics and Alain Boublil's book, those delivering it or those watching.

Some musicals operate a revolving door of stars brought in to put bums on seats, but Les Mis has no interest in that; if your vocal agility is anything short of remarkable, you can forget being cast as Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine or Éponine. Even ensemble members who pipe up for a single solo line hold the bar high, and so they should: Schönberg's rich and stirring score deserves nothing less.

Fans of the show know every emotive key change, every vocal inflection, every joke, every long-held final note and plaintive plea. Newcomers arrive carrying the weight of expectation that comes from 36 years of praise. Either way, the pressure is on, and this exceptional production doesn't disappoint. Katie Hall as Fantine breathes eloquence and tragedy into every word of 'I Dreamed A Dream', making it her own (no mean feat with such a ubiquitous number); Dean Chisnall breaks our heart as Jean Valjean imploring 'Bring Him Home'; and Nic Greenshields as Javert makes us cheer the baddie when he hits the back of the upper circle with his powerful rendition of 'Stars'.

And in Nathania Ong, who graduated from Mountview just this summer and walked almost immediately into the role of Éponine, a musical theatre star is born. We hear snippets from her during 'In My Life', making the prospect of her delivering one of the show's biggest songs, 'On My Own', an exciting one. Ong meets our expectations and then some; if there are no tears in your eyes by the end of that, and a poignant rendition by Will Callan (Marius) of 'Empty Chairs At Empty Tables', check your musical-theatre pulse.

As always, big numbers 'Do You Hear The People Sing?' and 'One Day More' are spine-tingling, 'Master Of The House' is a hoot (great comic timing from Ian Hughes and Helen Walsh as the despicable Thénardiers) and the orchestral delivery is flawless. It was almost worth the extended absence to feel this good to have the show back.

Les Misérables, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, until Friday 31 December and touring across the UK in 2022.