Inspirations Theatre Company’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame – 3 June 2026, Chesterfield Playhouse
Review by Nicola Bourne.
If, like me, you were aware of Victor Hugo’s classic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but didn’t really know the story, beyond it being a tale of love between Quasimodo and Esmeralda, then this is a great opportunity to see the full story in its musical form. Adapted from the 1996 Disney film, with music and lyrics by the acclaimed Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, it’s a slightly darker adaptation of the film, performed skilfully last night by Inspirations Theatre Company, at The Playhouse in Hasland.
Telling the tale of Quasimodo, a deformed baby, brought up in Notre Dame cathedral by his uncle, Claude Frollo, after the death of his father, the show follows Quasimodo, as an adult, in 1482’s Paris. Made deaf from years of bell ringing, and living entirely within the confines of the cathedral, for fear of being shunned by society, Quasimodo breaks free for the day to experience the city’s Feast of Fools. There, he is beguiled by Esmeralda, a sympathetic gypsy dancer, who defends him against the cruel crowd. Facing his uncle’s wrath and jealousy, and competition also from Captain Phoebus, for her attentions, he experiences love, heartbreak and humiliation, as he aims to save her from Frollo’s intent to destroy her. It’s a violent, but poignant story, and the musical is packed full of emotion and endearing moments.
Creative director, Joshua Mason, is not short of imaginative, symbolic ideas and his objectives for a stripped back set design are realised by the technical crew. On opening, we are met with Gareth Elvidge’s set, with wooden confessional booth and crucifixes on the wall, which provide a great, religious backdrop for the coming scenes. Daryl Hoare’s atmospheric lighting sets the tone, with dramatic colour changes, as the drama intensifies, and includes candles and wall sconces, that put you in the time period of the piece. Bethany Haystead’s costumes reinforce the director’s concept of having uniform, interchangeable cast members, and although there are some flamboyant, colourful costumes, the ensemble is cloaked in black throughout. In an innovative way, that I haven’t really seen before, the cast morph into being part of the set, forming the buildings and landscape, their black attire cleverly providing the opportunity for such transformation. Religious props too, are often repurposed in metaphoric ways, with the intention of linking religion and oppression. This considered approach to Joshua’s direction adds extra layers to the performance and promotes self-reflection, in relation to belonging and acceptance. I do recommend reading the full programme beforehand, if you want to fully appreciate these subtle nuances.
Chris Grimshaw’s sound effects are good; the cathedral bells are evocative, and most voices can be heard above the crowd’s background rowdiness. With a technically demanding score, Musical Director, Melanie Gilbert, encourages some great performances, with the ensemble pieces being particularly good, often tackling operatic styles and Latin lyrics. It doesn’t hurt that there are some great, memorable tunes and emotion-filled lyrics, to work with, reintroducing some old favourites from the Disney film. I especially love The Bells of Notre Dame, which, for an opening number, reminds me of the impact and drama of Look Down and No One Mourns the Wicked, from Les Miserables and Wicked. This kind of intense intro always gets me on the hook for the rest of the show! There are fun, upbeat numbers, like Topsy Turvy, which features suitably silly choreography, from Emily Skill (there are some lively Flamenco style gypsy moves and nods to Cossack dancing included later in the show too). The Entr’acte at the start of Act Two, sung by the choir in Latin, is impressive, and I can only imagine the work that goes into learning that!
It’s Impossible to highlight everyone’s individual talents. Matthew Szadura’s voice and emotion, however, are perfect for Out There and Heaven’s Light and he is a great choice to play a persecuted Quasimodo. I love his innocence in Top of the World, performed with Esmeralda, in which he seems truly joyful for the simple things in life, like friendship. God Help the Outcasts is also beautifully performed by Zara Grosse’s feisty Esmeralda, with the song building into an impressive crescendo. Matthew Alsop is flawless, as Phoebus! With a great singing voice, I love Rest and Recreation and Someday, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him on a bigger stage in the future! All three, though, stand out, along with Nicola Smith’s less obvious background character; all have charisma, stage presence and obvious talent and each of their voices can be heard over the music.
The director’s concept of presenting three different Frollos and three different Esmeraldas, seemed a little “out there” and left me wondering, initially, how well that would be received and whether it would confuse an audience. I needn’t have worried! It results in a lovely handover of characters, from one to the next, and gives an extra layer of emotion in the final scenes, where all three stand together; proof, if it were needed, that sometimes directors need to make brave decisions!
With occasional injections of humour, a moving final narration from Quasimodo and a strong message of acceptance, Inspirations Theatre Company’s version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an evocative, well performed piece of musical theatre. My first experience of this company, there are elements of the professional in there, and I will, undoubtedly, be coming back for more! It’s for you to decide if Quasimodo really is a monster, and if he is, what made him that way?
Hats off to everyone (cast and crew) and thank you for being brave enough to stage a musical that wasn’t an obvious choice and one that never really became mainstream! I’m glad I got the opportunity to see it! Oh, and I can’t get the song Esmeralda out of my head!
