THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

A review by Ellie Farrow

Goosebumps. Absolute goosebumps is what I got as I sat in St Pauls Church in Covent Garden, watching in rapt attention as this fantastic production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame came to its dramatic conclusion. Full of gypsy feeling, live music and excitement, this show is definitely a must see!

The outdoor stage is struck, bunting hung overhead, as ribbons twirl from the trees, lifted in the breeze. This brought the gypsy magic of the play to life, creating a space that was immersive and atmospheric. They played well with the natural day to night, which fitted perfectly with the tone of the story. I particularly liked how the asked you to follow them around ‘Paris’ – whether this was too the Court of Miracles or to Notre Dame itself.

However, I feel, due to the size of the audience, their transitions between each location could’ve been smoother – they seemed a little clunky at times. Credit to the cast though, who maintained character through these transitions and continued interacting with you, whether this was Sister Gudule warning you away from the gypsies, or the Royal Guard asking you to point and shame Quasimodo as he was dragged to the square.

The setting was phenomenal though. The courtyard was surrounded by high buildings, creating fantastic acoustics, allowing the voices and music to echo around the space. This cast a magical atmosphere over the whole show. There was the occasional problem of sound from Covent Garden filtering in, but this was few and far between.

Whilst we are talking about sound, I would love to credit Izzy Jones who’s beautiful singing perfectly encapsulated the character of Esmeralda. Furthermore, I loved the live accompaniment of music, it just drew me further into the world they were creating – I especially loved the way they played with how they used the instruments, for example, at times the guitar was used as percussion.

The actors themselves were the final piece in drawing you completely into this magical Parisian world. Brilliantly cast, full of fire and incredibly talented, these 6 actors made the show funny, sweet, sad and gripping! I loved how they invited the audience to get involved, allowing them to participate in the production.

Whether this was through the small girl being invited to dance with Quasimodo, or the poor man who was cast as Esmeralda’s magical goat Djali. It was fantastically executed, where the audience felt invited and welcomed, yet the finer details of the play were not lost – It was a brilliant demonstration of commedia dell’arte.

My personal favourite character was those played by Katie Tranter, which included Pierre and Fleur-De-Lys, however each and every character was exceptional in their own rights. My absolute favourite part, was where, right at the end, you were finally invited inside the church. Filled with smoke and lit brilliantly (credit to the creative team) you were transported to Notre Dame.

The atmosphere was incredible!! When Frollo confronted Esmerelda, or when Phoebus and the Guards stormed the cathedral, or as Sister Gudule slowly drew her knife, it sent shivers down my spine – goosebumps!

I could not recommend this production more. So let this show fill your soul with gypsy magic, as it transports you to Parisian streets and maybe, just maybe, you’ll hear the bells of Notre Dame ring!