Emily Norton

It’s crunch time for the theatre company behind the first ever cathedral production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Lincolnite was invited for a behind-the-scenes peek at rehearsals.

As the fiery evening sun blasted through Lincoln Cathedral’s stained glass windows, and cries of “sanctuary!” echoed through the nave, it was clear the iconic building is just as much a character in this performance as any other.

The musical, based on Victor Hugo’s Gothic novel and including songs from the Disney adaptation, will be performed by around 200 local people, including a live orchestra and choir, between Monday, May 23 and Saturday, June 4, 2022.

We arrived during rehearsals for the grand finale of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which will feature around 150 actors from the age of seven upwards. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Playing Quasimodo is second year University of Lincoln student Andre Buhagiar, who we met fittingly under the bells which accompany life in the city.

Andre, 20, from Siggiewi in Malta, told us they never dreamed their move to the city would see them land their first lead role, in front of almost 10,000 people.

“I’m not sure I entirely believed it at first,” Andre said. “It’s been an amazing opportunity. I wake up and I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I could never have expected something like this.

Andre came to Lincoln as an exchange student studying a range of theatre disciplines. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

“I love how connected everyone is. Sometimes different roles may feel disconnected to the ensemble, but I feel really connected to everyone and it’s just so much fun.”

Andre, who has been training for a career on the stage since the age of four, said they have always been a “theatre geek” and that telling a story through acting, singing and dance is something that really speaks to them.

“There are so many different aspects to Quasimodo; his physical disability, his deafness from ringing the bells for his entire life, and his naivety.

“For me, it’s been about finding that very rejected childishness to him, one that is so inquisitive, and the sense of wanting to experience the entire world, and how that turns into such a darkness inside of him, which comes out in the second act. That’s a real key to unlocking the character.”

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Alongside Andre, Indrija Kustov will play Esmerelda, Ben Goode is taking on the part of Captain Phoebus De Martin, and Ben Poole will portray Dom Claude Frollo.

It will be a momentous return to the stage for the Starring Lincoln Theatre Company after the delay and ultimately the cancellation of its production of Shrek at Lincoln Castle, due to COVID-19.

Ben Poole, who is also The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s director, told us of the pride and excitement felt by the family of local actors and crew, after a three year break.

Show director Ben Poole. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

While the pandemic is still having a major impact on preparations for the show, currently keeping around 30 people away from each rehearsal, it’s a risk they were prepared for to bring one of the city’s biggest cultural events back to Lincoln Cathedral.

“Right now, we’ve had more absences because of COVID than any other time,” explained Ben, “and I guess that’s because restrictions aren’t in place anymore. That’s been really challenging. I think all shows are suffering with this, even professional shows.”

The production follows a legacy of sell-out cathedral musicals for the company, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Jekyll and Hyde, and Oliver!

With its emotive and complex score, Ben described The Hunchback of Notre Dame as his most musically difficult and ambitious production yet.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

“It’s a really difficult show. The music is complicated. You have songs in Latin, some in the invented language of the Roma, colloquial language, some beautiful operatic style music, plus lots of fun songs.

“It’s a great thing if you’re coming to see the show and you don’t know it. It’s one of those stories that’s so compelling, and the music is so beautiful, it tells the story really well. You can expect to be stirred emotionally by the piece. It’s a very powerful story.”

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Audiences should also expect to see a set piece promised to be “more spectacular than the moon”, an art installation suspended in the building earlier this year.

“There’s a growing sense of pride”, said Ben. “Not only in the people in our shows but also in the people who watch them. They are supporting a home-grown event and they get to see what the talented people of Lincoln can do.

“Often we import our culture, but we are making it here, so I feel really proud about that.”

Lincoln Cathedral has channelled the essence of Notre Dame in recent times, too, having depicted the iconic French Catholic cathedral during the filming of Ridley Scott’s new film Napoleon, starring Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix.

For Ben, raising the profile of the building and the city is an added bonus. “For the cathedral, it’s a fundraiser, and we have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds over the years. Plus, Hunchback is a great morality tale, as all the best shows are, and I think the cathedral is a great place to situate it.”

The Starring Lincoln Theatre Company production will be staged from Monday, May 23 until Saturday, June 4, 2022, and tickets can be purchased here.

A staggering rise in racist incidents and discrimination against hospital staff in Lincolnshire has prompted a new NHS campaign in the county.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust said that 27 incidents of discrimination against staff were officially recorded over the last year, 25 of which were race related.

The Trust’s latest National Staff Survey results also clearly show that some colleagues are significantly more likely to experience discrimination than their English, Welsh, Scottish, British or Northern Irish counterparts.

Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive said: “In order for our staff to be able to provide the best possible care to patients, we need to make sure that our teams are protected from racism, and any other form of unlawful discrimination, whilst they are at work.

“We are an inclusive employer and we are proud of our highly skilled colleagues who have a range of diverse backgrounds. Racism will not be tolerated in our hospitals.

“We also know that some instances include colleague-on-colleague racism, which is equally unacceptable. Racism is not excused in our hospitals, whether from a patient, visitor or fellow colleague.”

The trust’s anti-racism strategy outlines a range of measures to ensure that staff feel protected and supported including education and training for the wider organisation.

Along with the strategy, the trust is also launching a series of posters and graphics to empower them to speak up and take a stand against racial abuse from patients or visitors.

Paige Pennant, Flow Co-ordinator and Vice-Chair of the Trust’s BAME network said: “We are extremely proud of our diverse workforce, which includes colleagues from more than 20 different countries. Together we deliver outstanding care and services to our local community.

“We are committed to making ULHT a great place to work and receive care, and this strategy supports colleagues who experience racism. It is vital that they know that they are listened to and we will support and work with them to combat any racist behaviour in our hospitals.

“We also recognise that colleagues sometimes face racist behaviour from other colleagues, and this strategy applies equally to them. This is unacceptable behaviour which we will not tolerate in our hospitals.”