Thirteen years ago composer Lionel Bart died without ever seeing his musical adaptation of Quasimodo on stage.
Next spring, fifty years after he put pen to paper adapting Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, the show will have its world première at London's King’s Head Theatre.
Back in 1995 Bart said of it:
“I was inspired by the story of this marvellous soul within a monstrous body... The simple premise of the piece, when I wrote it, was the question, 'What is ugly?'
It's a tragic story, but about being free to change, free to renew oneself. In a way I became the hunchback. It's a great release and a catharsis for me to put it all in this work.”
Multi–award winning Bart, whose works include Lock Up Your Daughters, Fings Ain't Wot They Used t'Be, and the classic Oliver!, declared himself bankrupt in 1972 after selling all the rights to his past and future works to prop up his musical Twang!!, which flopped spectacularly in the mid 1960s.
Quasimodo will be produced by TheatreUpClose, directed by King’s Head Theatre’s associate director, Robert Chevara, and have a cast of eight. It runs at the King’s Head Theatre from Wednesday 20 March to Saturday 13 April 2013.
For booking and further information visit www.kingsheadtheatre.com or call the Box office on 020 7478 0160.