"You're going to have a miserable day." That's how a group of kids, my 12-year-old and her friend Lisa included, was greeted on Saturday morning at the doors to the Queen's Theatre in London's Shaftesbury Avenue. They'd all enrolled for the Miz Kids' Club, a drama workshop on Les Miserables run by Cameron Mackintosh's education unit (the full day – morning club plus ticket in the afternoon for Les Mis – is £28, 0870 8509171).

Les Miserables may be the world's longest running musical, but it's a difficult show for young people. It's not only all that history, but the story is far from cheery and most of the songs aren't very sing-along. But if the kids get a chance to act out the parts, dress up and learn the lyrics in the morning, by the time they go to that afternoon's matinee they're all prepped up for the challenging drama in store.

Mop caps and flat caps were distributed among the kids, accompanied by tattered petticoats and torn trousers. Being made up to look dirty was universally described as "wicked".

After spending the morning as Cosette while Lisa was a very convincing pickpocket, going on a backstage tour, and meeting a member of the cast, Storme didn't think Les Mis was so miserable after all, although she did get a bit tearful in the matinee. But news that a similar stage school may be launched for Mary Poppins cheered her up. But not her mother, who prefers misery. The Chim Chim Cher-ees rehearsed all the way home drove me mad.

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