A CurtainUp London Review
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This is not a static show because the audience moves several times to different parts of the churchyard for differing scenes before culminating in the church itself. But I find it hard to call it immersive because, although I found myself caring about Esmerelda and Quasimodo, I never believed we were in 15th century Paris. We follow the story of Quasimodo (a delicate and mindful performance from Robert Rhodes), the priest Frollo (Ed Bruggemeyer) and the gypsy girl Esmerelda (a beautiful Izzy Jones). The theme of vilifying difference is one we can relate to today and this affects Quasimodo because of his deformity and Esmerelda as an outcast gypsy. Little is made of Clopin (Ed Bruggemeyer) and the Court of Miracles in this version but there is Sister Gudule (Darrie Gardener) as Esmerelda's birth mother who abandoned Quasimodo, who had been substituted for her baby, on the cathedral steps. Whilst Esmerelda's compassion is unquestionable as she reprieves the poet Pierre Gringoire (Katie Tranter) from the death penalty by agreeing to marry him in name only for four years, she has terrible taste when she is attracted to Phoebus, Captain of the King's Archers (Max Alexander-Taylor). A member of the audience is recruited as Esmerelda's pet goat Djali and given a hat with ears. The production is like a summer pantomime with the audience given sponges to throw at Quasimodo in the stocks (which I wished some had kept for the odd mistimed arrival) and a jury is recruited to give a pre-decided verdict on Quasimodo or Esmerelda's guilt – I forget which. Other scenes will see audience participation to much merriment but inevitably a break in the melodrama. The ending is not Hugo's but a feel good or unlikely outcome for 1482. Many laughs are extracted from Hugo's characters and their situation but I personally would not show children the gallows with its huge rope noose. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES The Hunchback of Notre Dame Written by Victor Hugo Adapted by Benjamin Polya Directed by Bertie Watkins With: Max Alexander-Taylor, Ed Bruggemeyer, Darrie Gardner, Izzy Jones, Robert Rhodes, Katie Tranter Set Design: Isabella van Braecket Lighting Design: Gregory Jordan Composer, Musical Director and Sound Designer: Matthew Malone Costume Designer: Cieranne Kennedy-Bell Running time: Two hours 30 minutes including an interval Box Office: 020 7240 0344 Booking to 1st September 2019 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 7th August 2019 evening performance at St Paul's Churchyard Covent Garden, entrance on King Street London WC2E 9ED (Tube: Covent Garden) Index of reviewed shows still running REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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