The Hunchback of Notre Dame
★★★★★ Splendimum
Edinburgh Academy (Venue 70): Wed 5 – Sun 16 Aug 2026
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Captivate Theatre tackle the towering stage adaptation of Menken & Schwartz’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame with scale, beauty, and outstanding commitment to a score that demands nothing less than divine inspiration.
Adapted from the Disney film, Hunchback centres on the story of Quasimodo, the bellringer of Notre Dame. The orphaned son of Jehan, the rogue younger brother of the cathedral’s Archdeacon Claude Frollo, Quasi has been taken in by his uncle and kept out of sight.
Alex Fraser (Quasimodo) Pic: Rosie Sco.
Born with physical differences such as the eponymous hunchback, Quasimodo is kept locked away by Frollo in the cathedral, until one day he slips outside to experience the Feast of Fools, a festival in which the outlawed Roma population of Paris (referred to in the show as “gypsies”) are allowed to move freely and partake in the celebrations.
After being cruelly crowned the King of Fools, Quasimodo is rescued by the gypsy dancer Esmerelda. Quasimodo, the newly arrived captain Phoebus, and Frollo are all captivated by Esmerelda, sparking a conflict that engulfs all of Paris in its flames.
multiroling ensemble
A unique demand of Hunchback is that it is written not just for principles and an ensemble, but a liturgical choir (the Congregation). The Congregation acts as an anchor and the constant presence of Notre Dame, a Mass of voices exhorting and underscoring.
Captivate does not employ a separate choir, but their multiroling ensemble transition seamlessly between soldiers, citizens, gypsies, gargoyles, and congregants, filling the main hall at the Edinburgh Academy to the rafters with their voices and encompassing ensemble and choir in one.
Although the symbolism of the white-robed choristers is not present, the symbolism of the same group of people embodying all these roles serves a similar purpose. Colum Findlay’s musical direction is a triumph.
Camila Lopez (Esmeralda) and David Joseph Healy (Phebus). Pic: Rosie Sco.
Director Sally Lyall makes full use of this unique venue. Its many entrances, exits, and levels enable rapid transitions – both of locale and of the ensemble between their many roles. Captivate’s trusty wooden crates, augmented by a few spools, also assist in the flexing between locations, and are particularly well choreographed in the final climactic scenes at Notre Dame.
A couple of strange choices to do with clearly modern pieces of clothing for Frollo and Phoebus and a Napoleonic-era uniform jacket (the musical is set it 1482) are jarring, but otherwise the nebulously old-timey or/and fantastical nature of the costuming works well in this setting.
As Clopin, king of the gypsies and framing narrator of the story, Lucy Pederson commands physically and vocally, balancing showmanship and a leader concerned for their people’s wellbeing. Camila Lopez as Esmeralda is both soft and fiery, with excellent comic timing. She is a bit quieter vocally, but this could probably be helped by an audio adjustment to support her being heard over the music, and balanced with her louder cast-mates.
aching and brilliantly angry
The duet Someday between Esmerelda and Phoebus shows Lopez at her best, joined in an aching and brilliantly angry performance by David Joseph Healy as Phoebus, who balances rich strength and tenderness across his performance.
Hamish Coles, while looking a bit younger than one might expect is exemplary as Claude Frollo. Richly resonant, vocally utterly solid and more than standing up to the redoubtable villain song Hellfire, he brings true conflict and a hint of sympathy to the role. No villain every thinks they’re the villain in their own story, and Coles’s Frollo exemplifies a villain who believes himself justified.
Alex Fraser and Camila Lopez. Pic: Rosie Sco.
As Quasimodo, Alex Fraser is intensely vulnerable, endearing, and heartbreaking. His physical performance is detailed and electric, invested with the strength and agility of a young man who has spent his life in the bell tower, alternately bounding about the space and contorting to make himself small in the face of Frollo. His Heaven’s Light is perfectly delicate, and in Made of Stone he at last shows his true power and range, as Quasimodo finally breaks.
The ensemble are, to a one, both individual and exceptional, with occasions for each to step out into featured moments. To name a few: Gordon Stackhouse as Jehan, Juliet Gentle with her acrobatic features, Ewan Robertson as Phoebus’s lieutenant, and Kennedy Thomson leading the tavern song Thai Mol Piyas.
haunts the narrative
Throughout, Speff Strachan, who embodies Quasimodo’s mother Florika, haunts the narrative and provides crowning vocal jewels such as the Finale Ultimo descant. Her high Ds, which are a signature of the score, are crystalline and beautifully shattering. Hunchback would be nothing without its ensemble.
This is not a happy story with a happy ending. Neither is it a perfect piece of theatre. What it is, is a timeless tale with easily recognisable parallels to today’s world, set to an utterly compelling score, beautifully performed by the Captivate company.
It is not happy, but you will be happy you came.
Running time: Two hours and 15 minutes (including one interval).
The Edinburgh Academy (Main Hall), 42 Henderson Row EH3 5BL (Venue 70).
Wednesday 5 – Sunday 16 August 2026.
Daily (not Tue 11, Sat 15): 5pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Captivate website: www.captivatetheatre.com/
Facebook: @captivatetheatre
Instagram: @captivatetheatre
TikTok: @captivate_theatre
A scene from The Hunchback of Notre Dame from Captivate Theatre. Pic: Rosie Sco.
ENDS
