My fascination with cathedrals was born from an early memory of watching Anthony Hopkins play Quasimodo on television, that and Tim Burton’s Batman. I’m not a particularly spiritual person, but the buildings always make me feel removed from the outside world, due to a profound sense of peace upon entering. That same comforting feeling came when taking my seat to watch a local stage production of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, presented by the Gippsland-based Class Act Productions Inc. in what is without question their most grand and audacious show yet.
Based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo, this classic still resonates almost two centuries later, with its story centred on a disfigured person who’s pure of heart, born of two fathers who fight for possession of his soul. One is a free spirit, and the other, ironically, a man of God, supposedly accepting of all, but corrupted by power and societal prejudice.
Class Act always maintains a broad focus and strives for a high standard of stage production, with an emphasis on emotional performances that are enhanced by detailed in-house constructed sets that both are impressive in scale and versatility. With me, it’s always the little things that tend to stand out, which in this case was Saint Aphrodisius, catching his decapitated head each time it tilted off his body during conversation. It’s a neat trick that was well disguised with a beautiful period costume and worked perfectly for measured comedic effect.
Optimism is sadly often outweighed by pessimism these days, especially considering recent headlines, but what Class Act brings to the community is truly encouraging for the locals, providing a creative outlet and broadening horizons, all in a nationally rated venue in the region’s heart.
Truth be told, I haven’t seen all the “dozen or so” (thanks, Gemini) adaptations of The Hunch Back of Notre Dame, but I rank Class Act’s effort highly. There are two more performances at the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre at the time of this post, today, March 14th, at 7:30 pm and tomorrow, March 15th, at 1:30 pm.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
(2025, Class Act Productions)
★★★★★
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