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CONTENTS

page TWO IMAGE: La Esmeralda

page THREE BELT UP THEATRE’S ‘HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE

DAME’

page four ‘HUNCHBACK’ continued

page five WORKSHOPS

page six WORKSHOPS continued

page SEVEN WORKSHOP DETAILS

page EIGHT WORKSHOP DETAILS continued

page NINE IMAGE: La Esmeralda

page ten IMAGE: Captain Phoebus & La Esmeralda

page ELEVEN INTERVIEW: With writer, Jethro Compton

page TWELVE THOUGHTS ON BELT UP THEATRE

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Belt up theatre’s

‘hunchback of Notre dame’

A stunning adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel, NOTRE DAME DE PARIS, set in the heart of a

spectacular abbey. Venture deep into the Parisian underworld and witness the trial of Quasimodo. Listen

to the story of the Hunchback’s life; a life plagued by loneliness and rejection, but as the truth unravels can

the creature face the all too tragic reality?

In this momentous reimagining of an epic story will the monster ever find love or will he be destroyed by

his demons?

Belt Up Theatre's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is a vivid recreation of Hugo's timeless tale of

longing, passion and lust. This innovative new adaptation sees the infamous story of Quasimodo and

Esmeralda’s journey reinvented as a darker and simpler tale of unrequited love.

Staged in the centre of the incredible Selby Abbey, the production will feature original music, songs and a

full choir, set to the backdrop of one of Yorkshire’s most celebrated landmarks.

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From writer Jethro Compton, whose earlier adaptation of Hugo’s novel, QUASIMODO, performed in

Edinburgh, Manchester, South Wales and London was met with great critical acclaim.

Belt Up Theatre was founded in York in 2008, became company in residence at York Theatre Royal in 2009 and has since performed all over the UK and across the globe to enormous success, being heralded as ‘a company changing the future of British theatre’ (The Observer). The company’s work at York Theatre Royal where it became company in residence in 2009 has included adaptations of THE TRIAL by Franz Kafka and Moliere’s TARTUFFE as well as original productions including, ATRIUM, LORCA IS DEAD and THE BOY JAMES. And director David Calvitto who recently directed Belt Up Theatre’s MACBETH in London, of which The Stage commented, ‘Calvitto’s production treads traditional ground, albeit in groovy site-specific footwear… challenging our conceptions of where theatre can be staged’.

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Workshops and

performances Group Booking & Educational Discounts apply to A Level, IB and GCSE Groups.

After-show platforms can be arranged with the cast in advance, subject to availability.

The show is a brilliant opportunity for the following Key Assessment Objectives of several A Level and

GCSE courses:

• An example of site-specific, interactive theatre.

• A page-to-stage example of classic literature.

In addition to seeing the show, the following workshops are available both. We are able to focus

workshops on syllabus specific assessment objectives dependent on relevant subjects and units (See

Workshop Details).

Workshop 1: English Literature & Drama for GCSE

Relevant Courses:

English Literature

OCR Linked Heritage,

AQA Literature Unit 3

Edexcel Unit 2: The Writer's Craft

Drama & Theatre Studies

Edexcel Unit 2: Exploring Play Texts

OCR Unit A581: From Page to Stage

Unit A582: Drama in the Making

1. Platform with the cast discussing a selection of scenes and directorial, character and atmospheric choices.

2. Question and Answer session. 3. Breakout session for groups to recreate scenes from the play. 4. Watch and give feedback on performances. 5. Summary with final questions and answers.

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Workshop 2: English Literature & Drama for A Level

Relevant Courses:

English Literature

AQA 3.2 Unit 2 LITB2 - Dramatic Genres Edexcel Unit 2: Explorations in Drama

Drama and Theatre Studies

AQA Unit 1 DRAM1 Live Theatre Production Seen

Edexcel Unit 1: Exploration of Drama and Theatre

Unit 4: Theatre Text in Context

Onsite Option:

1. Platform with the cast discussing the scenes directorial decisions, comparing and contrasting them

with previous productions.

2. Breakout session covering different styles of performance and interpretation.

3. Question and Answer session.

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WORKSHOP DETAILS In order to gain the most from our workshops we have designed individual units to cater specifically to A

Level and GCSE English Literature and Drama/Performance courses across most exam boards. Below are a

few example workshops, however, we are always happy to cater our workshops to the groups’ needs and

time constraints .

PAGE TO STAGE

What we will cover

• Why ‘The Hunchback’?

• Why did we decide to stage the production as an interactive, sight specific piece?

• How did we interpret the novel and what methods did we use to turn the script in to live action?

Activities

• A discussion on why the script relates to the space and how the space may affect certain key parts

of the script.

• Staging and self-directing a key scene from the script.

MAKING A SHOW

What we will cover

• Why the stylistic choices were made.

• How the director, producers, designers and actors collaborated to produce the show and how key

points in the productions process were encountered.

Activities

• Devise a short scene in a non-traditional style or use and existing scene from a play.

• Present your show – discuss whether the scene was successful and what changes you could make to

develop it.

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PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE

What we will cover

• The characters in ‘The Hunchback’ and their characteristics, including voice, movement, gesture,

posture and facial expression.

• How these characters relate to archetypal character traits.

• How these can be physically staged.

Activities

• Selecting a range of moments from the script of ‘The Hunchback’ and dissecting the characters’

characteristics.

THE STORY OF ‘THE HUNCHBACK’ AND ITS THEMES

What we will cover

• The story of ‘The Hunchback’ and its key events

• Themes throughout the play

Activities

• Breaking down the play in to key events.

• Exploring what themes and references throughout the show.

• Why Belt Up Theatre have interpreted the play and placed the show in a site-specific venue to

highlight certain themes and aspects of the story.

THE CHARACTERS OF ‘THE HUNCHBACK’

What we will cover

• An exploration of the characters in ‘The Hunchback’ and the parts they play in the story.

• Key interactions of the characters and their individual journeys.

Activities

• Character profiling and key interactions of main characters.

• Discussing the ethical, moral, political and social implication of the characters actions.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH writer and producer,

jethro compton

What attracted you to the story of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’?

‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ is an incredible story which, despite its epic scale, has themes that

everyone can relate to. . It’s obviously a little more dramatic than reality, but the themes are simple. The

themes are about love, about desire and lust, about rejection. It’s not the fairy-tale that everyone expects. It

doesn’t end happily ever after; our hero doesn’t ride away into the sunset, girl in arm, to live happily ever

after. Quasimodo loves Esmeralda; she is everything to him, but she will never love him back. There’s

something universal in that.

You’ve called this production a ‘reimagining’, how is it so different from traditional versions?

Everyone knows ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, or at least they think they know it; it’s a story so

ingrained and has such powerful and iconic images that everyone feels they know what actually happens.

There have been so many adaptations over the years and all give the story their own twist - I wanted to

twist it further. Without giving anything away, this adaptation gives you the story from a slightly different

angle and framed within the Court of Miracles, an underground lair of Parisian criminals. The essence of

the novel is still very much present, I just didn’t want to try and put the same story onstage without giving

it a bit of a Belt Up spin.

Why stage the production in Selby Abbey?

The Abbey is so perfect for this show and the support from the team there and the community as a whole

made it an ideal choice. Because of the fire over a hundred years ago, the seating allows flexibility whilst

the incredible building does all the work to create the gothic feeling present in the novel. No set designer in

the world could match the magnificence of such a landmark.

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THOUGHTS on belt up theatre

‘As one of the teachers who accompanied the school trip to see Macbeth yesterday and I wanted to drop you an e-mail to let you know how much I enjoyed the production. My class loved it too and were so excited about it in their English lesson today that I could barely shut them up for five minutes!’

Kate, KINGS College SCHOOL

‘Your work is inspirational and I feel a must for A level Theatre Studies Students.’ LIZ , Gravesend Grammar School for Girls

‘I saw three of your shows this year at Edinburgh and was mesmerized

by your adaptations of such well known texts. I would like to join your mailing list for details on your workshops available and up and coming performances, because I feel it would be beneficial for our group to see how theatre should be devised.’ Sarah, Repton School Derbyshire

‘I saw your performances of Odyssey and Quasimodo at the Lowry and all I can say is WOW. Your sort of work makes me remember why I love Drama and the theatre so much and why I teach Drama and the Arts to young people.’ Ruth, Unity College in Burnley

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