I know it's somewhat early, but as some of the casting has already been announced and the whole audition/casting process is happening earlier than last year (and it's bound to get relatively interesting as it looks like it could be a completely new principal cast which will obviously lead to some speculation):

From the 23rd June on...

Alfie Boe as Valjean until the 26th November
Jonathan Williams as alternate Valjean, Monday and Wednesday matinee performances

Hadley Fraser as Javert

Matt Lucas as Thénardier until the 10th September

[look how stealthy Cammack is about dragging out the O2 hype... ]

As much as I hate stunt-casting, I am actually quite looking forward to cast change! Well apart from the new orchestrations.

How is Alfie Boe, Hadley Fraser, and Matt Lucas stunt-casting?

I'm guessing since they all starred in the 02 concert.

More Matt Lucas than the others since he is a famous comedian and not a musical performer at all.

Well. Matt Lucas is a trained stage actor and has done a great amount of work on stage, too, let's not forget that. On the other hand, I think it's obvious that this is not the reason why he was cast - that's because he is famous, he's on TV, people know his name and know him from the O2. The fact that he's only doing 12 weeks and not a proper run (not even the Alfie Boe kind of "proper" run) also works for the term "stunt casting". There's a lot of hype about it and Cammack is promoting it as well as he can to sell tickets.
I'm not absolutely unhappy about it, I'm glad the show is running and it could be so much worse, but I still consider Matt Lucas for 12 weeks as Thénardier as stunt casting and I wish these people would commit to a full run or at least half a year. Les Misérables has always made such a great deal out of putting all the names of the cast up on one big cast board in alphabetical order and listing them like this in the programme, too, but as soon as a name comes in, all this equality is forgotten. Just like they put up a huge "THE STARS OF THE O2 CONCERT" sign in October and November, listing Simon Bowman (who had only sung a couple of lines at the end!), Norm Lewis, Samantha Barks and Gareth Gates (who I didn't even spot doing ANYTHING on stage. If they list him they might as well list Killian, Jonathan or Jeff, who all did far more, but of course they're not called Gareth Gates).

So, yes, I agree that the casting of Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas is not due to them being absolutely perfect in this role and serving the show the best of everyone they auditioned, because there probably weren't even auditions. That's not saying they won't do a good job (although both didn't impress me at the O2) of course.

Hadley Fraser, I don't know. It irks me that he's quite young and Jeff is quite young and he got cast and Jeff doesn't get cast, because I think Jeff is the most reliabaly strong Javert I've come across. But there we are.

Yes, when are they going to promote Jeff? He's fabulous, one of my all-time favourite Javerts! While I think Hadley Fraser is talented, I find it strange that he'd be cast as Javert. He's definitely more of a Marius.

I'm not too bothered about Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas in their respective roles. Matt may not be Alun Armstrong, but he's a great comic actor and will certainly be funny. And Alfie has a lovely voice and is genuinely likable even if he is by no means my favourite Valjean. Plus, my family loved them in the 02 concert so now they want to see them onstage. So I can't complain.

Besides, I just read an interview with Rebecca Caine in which she said, "Everything has become about branding and names now, all of the arts. If you see the way they’re advertising Alfie Boe going into La Bohéme now after Les Mis – it’s about branding. You won’t ever see a musical like Les Mis happen without a name going into it, it won’t happen anymore."

I have to say that I think she is right.

I have watched the show quite a few times, witnessing Jeff growing into Javert for a considerable time now, and wishing he were the principal a long time ago.

I thought the definition of stunt-casting is casting someone who's famous and well known amongst the general public for something other than theater into the production, which was why I was confused. Like Nick Jonas was stunt-casting, definitely, but Alfie Boe and Hadley Fraser are known for singing on stage theatrically so I don't consider that stunt-casting. I had no idea Matt Lucas was a famous TV star in the UK... lol

Oh, Hadley Fraser definitely isn't stunt casting, except maybe in Les Mis terms, what with the O2 concert.
But Matt Lucas... it's difficult. It's not blatant stunt casting as he is an accomplished stage actor, but it is certainly linked to the celebrity hype that has come over Les Mis, as the vast majority of people in Britain will know him 'from the telly' and they're marketing it appropriately.
That said, Matt Lucas as Thénardier (and, in a different way again, Alfie Boe as Valjean) is not the same league of stunt casting as, um, say, Joe McElderry as Marius. And yes, I am being serious. Do we get to pick one contestant from every season of X Factor every year now?! EXCITING.

My far-fetched thought has made me laugh - In the video, two men wanted to steal a loaf of bread [well, in the form of French Croissant], one maybe out of his "sister's child was close to death; they were starving", but the other certainly out of greedy, while Cameron tried being a policeman ......