The SWANSEA AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY may be amateur in title but if last nights performance is anything to go by they are anything but that.
Their current production is THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME which is on for the rest of the week at the Taliesin Arts Centre. As you can see from the audience reaction below, the performance brought smiles and tears to the sold out theatre.
The society has a fantastic reputation, so when they stage a show you know it’s going to be something special. Previously they won Wales and Ireland best musical theatre production for Fiddler on the Roof!
This production is based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz. Peter Parnell’s new book embraces story theatre and features verbatim passages from Hugo’s gothic novel.
The musical begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be “Out There,” observes all of Paris revelling in the Feast of Fools. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful Romani woman, Esmeralda.
Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though – the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the Roma – and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all.
Within minutes of the curtain coming down on the opening performance, audience members took to social media to have their say…….
“That was incredible – the choral singing was brilliant. Not one person on stage stood out as a weak link, everyone was on it. Dale really owned that part!”
“Just WOW!! What an amazing show, absolutely loved it: smiled, held my breath and cried. Such amazing talent and production skills, you should all give yourselves an enormous high five.”
“A huge congratulations tonight! You should be so proud of that! Amazing. One of the best Amateur shows I’ve seen.”
“Just wanted to say a massive well done to you tonight, the show was outstanding, the singing was amazing and Dale was the best I’ve seen him, proud of you guys, have a rest rest of the week.”
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is on for the rest of the week at the Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea. Performances are at 7:15pm each evening with a 2:15pm matinee on Saturday, with BSL interpretation by Emma Horton. For more details and tickets, go HERE.
