AUDITION NOTICE: The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Savoyards

Title: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Presented By: Savoyards Musical Comedy Society in collaboration with Redland Performing Arts Centre

Genre: Musical / Gothic Drama

Synopsis: Based on Victor Hugo’s novel and featuring songs from the Disney animated film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame combines Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s Academy Award-nominated score with additional songs and a book by Peter Parnell incorporating passages from Hugo’s novel.

In fifteenth-century Paris, Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, longs to escape the cathedral and experience the outside world. Kept isolated by his controlling guardian, Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, Quasimodo ventures out during the Feast of Fools and meets Esmeralda, a young Romani woman who shows him compassion when others do not. Esmeralda also attracts the attention of Captain Phoebus and Frollo, whose obsession leads him to persecute Paris’s Romani community.

Audition Date: Friday 16 – Monday 19 October 2026

Audition Time:

• Friday 16 October – 7:30pm–10:30pm individual auditions; movement call 8:30pm–9:00pm

• Saturday 17 October – 1:00pm–9:00pm individual auditions; movement calls 2:30pm–3:00pm and 7:00pm–7:30pm

• Sunday 18 October – 9:00am–12:00pm individual auditions; movement call 10:30am–11:00am; Choir auditions 1:00pm–5:00pm

• Monday 19 October – 6:30pm–10:30pm individual auditions; movement call 8:30pm–9:00pm

Audition Location and Address: Wynnum West State School, entry via School Road, Wynnum West

Audition Requirements:

• Stage Cast – named characters and Congregation:

  • Complete a private 10-minute individual audition and a group movement call of approximately 30 minutes.

  • Prepare 32 bars of a musical theatre song that is not from the show and showcases both your vocal and storytelling abilities. Bring a backing track on an AUX-ready device.

  • You will also be asked to perform your chosen song as a monologue.

  • The movement call will explore your ability to work within a group while demonstrating personality, fun, and spontaneity. Arrive 15 minutes early to register and receive an audition number.

• Choir: Attend a dedicated group choral audition of approximately one hour. After registering, auditionees will receive an excerpt of music to learn and should prepare only the line best suited to their voice type. The material will be reviewed during the audition before being performed in small SATB groups.

• All auditionees should bring: backing track where applicable, completed audition form including all conflicts, performance history/CV, colour headshot of at least 10cm × 15cm, and clothing/footwear suitable for movement. Headshots will not be returned.

Audition Registration:

Email auditions@savoyards.com.au with:

• Name

• Mobile phone number

• Role/s you wish to audition for

You will receive a confirmation email containing your audition time. If you have not received a reply within three days, contact Savoyards again.

Audition Pack: Download Audition Pack

Performance Dates: 4–7 March 2027

Performance Times:

• Thursday 4 March – 7:30pm

• Friday 5 March – 7:30pm

• Saturday 6 March – 1:00pm

• Saturday 6 March – 7:30pm

• Sunday 7 March – 1:00pm

• Sunday 7 March – 6:00pm hold/keep available 

Performance Location: Redland Performing Arts Centre, 2/16 Middle Street, Cleveland QLD

Rehearsal Dates:

• First rehearsal – 1 November 2026

• Last rehearsal of 2026 – 9 December 2026

• First rehearsal of 2027 – 11 January 2027

• Tech rehearsals – 22 February–2 March 2027, including Sitzprobe on 27 February

• Bump-in – Monday 22 February, if available

• Bump-out – Monday 8 March, if available

• A launch event and photoshoot are also planned for November 2026.

Rehearsal Times:

• Sundays – 12:00pm–5:00pm

• Mondays – 7:00pm–10:00pm

• Wednesdays – 7:00pm–10:00pm

Rehearsals will take place at Wynnum West State School and RPAC Concert Hall and Studio. Successful performers are asked to keep all required rehearsals, performances, and key dates available.

Performer Age: Minimum age is 18 years for all performers. Character playing ages range from approximately 20–60.

Creative Team:

• Director – Sherryl-Lee Secomb

• Musical Director – Geoffrey Secomb

• Choreographer/Assistant Director – Bec Swain

• Choral Director – Jacqui Cuny Hall

• Assistant Musical Director – Chloe Evans

• Cultural Consultant – Matthew McKenzie

Production Website: Savoyards – Auditions

Other information:

• Savoyards is an amateur, volunteer-run theatre company. Financial membership is not required to participate, although performers are encouraged to become members and contribute to the wider activities of the society.

• The production is guided by a cultural safety plan and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. The team welcomes performers of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities, including BIPOC, LGBTIQA+, gender-diverse performers, and performers with disability.

• Choir callbacks, if required, will be held Wednesday 21 October.

• Stage cast callbacks, if required, will be held Thursday 22 October at Savoyards Hall, Ferguson Street, Manly.

• All auditionees will be notified of their outcome. Casting offers will be communicated by phone, while unsuccessful auditionees will be notified by email.

• Successful performers are subject to a social media blackout until advised otherwise.

Available Roles/Character Breakdown:

• Quasimodo | Male-presenting | Playing age 20–30 | Vocal range Bb2–Bb4 | The deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame and Frollo’s nephew and charge. Lonely and obedient to Frollo, Quasimodo has a vivid imagination that brings the cathedral’s bells and gargoyles to life. Shy and uncertain, he quickly befriends Esmeralda and proves himself big-hearted and brave.

• Dom Claude Frollo | Male-presenting | Playing age 40–50 | Vocal range E2–D4 | Archdeacon of Notre Dame Cathedral. A righteous and imposing man whose devotion to the Church supersedes everything else. Ashamed of his attraction to Esmeralda, he attempts to suppress his desire by persecuting her and the Romani people.

• Esmeralda | Female-presenting | Playing age 20–30 | Vocal range Eb3–Db5 | A free-spirited young Romani woman who supports herself as a dancer. Independent, strong-willed, and outspoken, she fights for the fair treatment of her community and shows compassion towards Quasimodo. She falls for Phoebus but refuses to surrender herself to Frollo, even when doing so could save her life.

• Captain Phoebus de Martin | Male-presenting | Playing age 25–40 | Vocal range Ab2–Ab4 | The dashing new captain of the Cathedral Guard. Charming and arrogant, but struggling with trauma from four years of intense battle, Phoebus becomes torn between following Frollo’s orders and doing what he knows is right. He falls for Esmeralda and ultimately defies Frollo.

• Clopin Trouillefou | Flexible gender | Playing age 30–40 | Vocal range C3–G4 | The King/Queen of the Gypsies, a clever and agile entertainer and Romani leader. Acutely aware of the prejudice and danger faced by the Roma, Clopin is fiercely protective of the community and runs the Court of Miracles with authority. The role particularly calls for presence and personality.

• Jehan Frollo | Male-presenting | Playing age 20–30 | Vocal range G#2–Eb4 | Claude Frollo’s wild and charming younger brother and Quasimodo’s father. Far less faithful to the Church than Claude, Jehan shares a strong bond with his brother until his rebellious nature creates a fatal rift between them.

• Florika | Female-presenting | Playing age 20–30 | Vocal range C#4–F5 | Jehan’s Romani girlfriend and Quasimodo’s mother.

• Father Dupin | Male-presenting | Playing age 40–60 | Vocal range C4–A4A devout priest of Notre Dame Cathedral and stern guardian of Claude and Jehan.

• Judicial Officer | Male-presenting | Playing age 20–50 | Vocal range G2–E4

• Saint Aphrodisius | Male-presenting | Playing age 30–50 | Vocal range B2–E4A stained-glass image that comes to life.

• Congregation – Stage Ensemble - An ensemble of storytellers portraying a wide range of characters including Roma, gargoyles, statues, soldiers, revellers, parishioners, priests, prostitutes, citizens of Paris, Lieutenant Frederic Charlus, and King Louis XI of France. The Congregation uses dynamic physical storytelling and choreographed movement to bring the world of the musical to life.

• Choir - A dedicated vocal ensemble forming the musical foundation of the production’s substantial choral score. The Choir remains on stage throughout the performance.