Stuart Crowther’s adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame is proof that streamed performances can bring the magic of theatre and then some into our homes, differing completely from watching a show live. Directed by Stephen Smith, Notre Dame is an immersive reimagining of a classic that is unfamiliar enough that such adaptations as this shine a new light on the characters and their motivations.
A great example of how much streamed theatre has to offer
Narrated by the gargoyle, Stryga (Lizzie Burder), we are taken through the events
surrounding a murder which Esmerelda (Maria Masonou) is blamed for, forcing
her to seek shelter inside of Notre Dame Cathedral. Within its walls, she is drawn into the relationship between the priest, Frollo (Duncan Riches), and Quasimodo (Gary Duncan), the bellringer. The non-linear structure of Crowther’s script allows for a better focus on the characters themselves, giving voice to their inner thoughts. Each soliloquy takes on a different tone, building on the previous one which creates an incredibly rich exploration of the themes and messages of Hugo’s original novel. The first-person narrative increases the tension of certain moments and experiences that each of them faces.
This production’s mainflaw is that it has a tendency to overuse things, from camera angles to theatre devices, so the show becomes rather repetitive towards the end. Sadly, this is also the case with the writing. Here the the non-linear structure is a disadvantage and combined with the characters’ monologues, it becomes rather difficult to follow, especially when either the cast’s diction or technology
does not carry the words through clearly.
Using projections and a touch of movie magic, the creative team has turned The Space into the famous Notre Dame. Throughout the show, the camera tends to favour close ups on each character, as we are shown either their reactions to events happening to them or their stream of consciousness monologue. Joseph Furey’s sound design increases the tension of these moments, as the sound overwhelms and blocks everything around us to the point where we ourselves feel the space closing in on us from behind the screen.
We never see Burder’s face, but she narrates events to the point where we can almost see her expressions behind the mask she wears. There is an edge to her voice which is perhaps informed by sarcasm and weariness of the state of what she sees, and in doing so Burder voices the lamentable role of the audience that increases as the play progresses; we just watch, that’s the only thing that we can do. Riches plays the Machiavellian villain Frollo extremely well, casting an incredibly sinister shadow over the entire play. It is hard to say which of the two sides of the character is more dislikeable – the collected smugness or frantic madness – which goes to show the care taken by Riches in developing this character.
Due to its immersive and online nature, Notre Dame becomes an incredibly well-rounded show, creating scenes that it would be difficult to recreate live. A great example of how much streamed theatre has to offer.
