The AmEgos Theatre, based in Wantage, are thrilled to be the first theatrical company in Oxfordshire to perform The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which will be their 21st show.
The performance of The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs from the 4 to 6 April, starting at 7.30pm with an additional Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. They are performing at the Wantage Parish Church in Church Street OX12 8AQ. Doors open at 6.45pm and 1.45pm respectively for people to enjoy a pre-performance drink at the bar. As the performance is in a church, seating is unreserved and on church pews, so the audience are advised to bring a cushion or blanket for comfort.
Established back in 2012, AmEgos Theatre produces both plays and musicals with a wide variety of styles, from Stephen Sondheim to Mel Brooks for musicals and from Oscar Wilde to Ian Hislop for their plays. Over the years having performed to more than 6,000 people in over 80 performances, they have gained a fine reputation and regularly received outstanding reviews from their audiences. The production company has over eighty performers and new actors and singers regularly join the company. They also have two incredibly talented Musical Directors: Kathy Chalmers and Chris Fletcher-Campbell along with two remarkable choreographers: Lauren Anderson-Smedley and Grace Anderson.
Director, Lesley Phillips says: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a huge challenge for AmEgos. Not only is the singing quite tricky, but we are staging this in a new-to-us venue, which is NOT a theatre! This means quite a change for all our tech team and also for our cast and orchestra. The result will be amazing … think of the surroundings and acoustics in the glorious medieval church! We are so excited to work together with a choir of local singers, who have come together especially for this production and also with the team at Wantage Parish Church to make this happen ... it’s a remarkable opportunity for a local community theatre company and we are relishing every moment. Do come and see the show!
The cast is very much looking forward to taking on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is as we know a story about Quasimodo, who has been kept within the bell tower of the Notre Dame in Paris for his whole life. However, he longs to be ‘Out There’ as part of the outside world. When he summons the courage to attend the Feast of Fools, he meets Esmeralda, a compassionate gypsy who protects him from an angry mob.
At the same time, Quasimodo’s guardian, the Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, and the new captain of the Guard, Phoebus de Martin, fall in love with Esmeralda. But will Quasimodo be able to save Esmeralda from Frollo’s lust and anger? And who is the true monster of Notre Dame?
The sweeping score and powerful story, make The Hunchback of Notre Dame an instant classic. Using the magnificent surroundings of the medieval Wantage Parish Church as a backdrop to the story, audiences will be swept away by the magic of this truly unforgettable musical.
With some adult themes, unlike the animated film, this is not a show for young children.
Later in the year, AmEgos Theatre will be putting on a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which will be staged in Autumn 2024.
Tickets for The Hunchback of Notre Dame are available from their website amegostheatre.com
