Overview

• The West End concert adaptation will share the role of Quasimodo between Ben Joyce and deaf performer Oliver Hewing.
• Equity has criticized the decision to cast Joyce, a non-disabled actor, in a part defined by a pronounced hunchback, calling the move an example of ableism.
• Equity chair Natalie Amber argued that including BSL interpretation does not excuse erasing the character’s core physical impairment.
• The union says it has engaged positively with Jack Maple Productions but insists on an audition process paired with targeted outreach to artists with lived experience.
• The production opens at the Prince Edward Theatre on August 17, features a BSL-interpreted performance on August 24, and has drawn a mixed public response.