‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ review
‘Phoenix Theatre’s production captures the audience completely […] a testament to the company’s exceptional talent and collaborative spirit’.
Based on Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the musical embraces a much darker and more haunting tone than the beloved Disney adaptation. At its core lies a powerful question: “What makes a monster, and what makes a man?”. Exploring themes of xenophobia, fear, loneliness, and lust, the story invites the audience on a deeply moving and thought-provoking journey.
From the very first notes of ‘The Bells of Notre Dame’, Phoenix Theatre’s production captures the audience completely. Director Grace Grady’s decision to position the orchestra on the main stage, with actors performing both below and around it, creates an atmosphere that is at once immersive and intimate. This inventive staging ensures that every moment feels close and personal, drawing the audience deeper into the unfolding drama.
The orchestra, led with precision and emotion by Band Musical Director Timothy Tsang, and the choir, led by Vocal Musical Director Amelia Awan, form the beating heart of the performance. Their music carries the story with remarkable sensitivity, shifting effortlessly between fear, joy, and sorrow. Complementing this, the sound and lighting design (attributed to Oliver Fitzgerald and Val Devereux respectively) breathe life into every scene, transforming the stage into a living, feeling entity.
The cast’s performances only deepen the richness of this vivid world. Yasmine Berrada delivers a radiant portrayal of Esmeralda, capturing both her warmth and charisma so completely that it’s impossible not to root for her. From her very first scene, Berrada conveys an extraordinary range of emotion through subtle expressions alone, shifting effortlessly from playful smirks to defiant frowns, allowing the audience to feel every moment of Esmeralda’s journey. Mortiz Afridi as Clopin too, deftly brings equal measures of comfort and menace as the proclaimed Gypsy King.
In striking contrast, Fred Walmsley commands the stage as Claude Frollo, eliciting equal measures of disgust and uneasy fascination. His masterful voice modulation is particularly compelling, heightening the tension in each scene and ensuring that the character’s menace and inner conflict are keenly felt.
The ensemble, consisting of Abi Godden, Adam Johnston, Emma Rowson, Joe Wilson, Joshua Brooks, and Sejal Khadakkar, moves seamlessly between roles, showcasing impressive range and unity. Their presence of mind, which is truly marvellous, allows them to express the subtleties and nuances of the different characters they portray.
Among the cast, the most striking transformations occur in Quasimodo and Phoebus, played by Louis Williams and Ben Armitage respectively. Williams masterfully conveys Quasimodo’s inner world, his flickers of hope, longing, and despair, through both physicality and emotional nuance. Meanwhile, Armitage’s nuanced performance in the second act powerfully captures Phoebus’s struggle with pain and redemption, revealing new depths to his character. Both give vocal performances to be in awe of.
Altogether, the production stands as a testament to the company’s exceptional talent and collaborative spirit. Huge credit goes to Production Manager Eva Ryan, Assistant Production Manager Erin Bullen, Stage Manager Aniket Garg and the entire production crew, as well as the whole cast, choir and orchestra for bringing Hugo’s timeless story to such breathtaking life.
By Sonakshikaa Singh.