Friendships scale new heights as new show prepares to come to The Grand Opera House

David McCrossan plays Phoebus De Martin, the love interest of Esmerelda, David Bailie, takes on a number of roles including Quasimodo’s father, Jehan Frollo as well as one of the hugely entertaining gargoyles who narrate the story throughout the show and Boyd Rodgers plays the part of Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame and the antagonist of the show.

The guys, all from the Lisburn area, have known each other for a long time, performing both on stages in NI and further afield, and their friendship has stood the test of time, mostly down to their shared love of musical theatre.

David McCrossan, a drama teacher in his real life, explains how they met in their youth and have worked on a number of high profile shows together over the years;

“David and I went to the same school, and did our 6th form school show together, ‘West Side Story’, which was my first experience of being on stage,” he said. “We then did ‘The Boys in the Photograph’, before meeting Boyd when we all appeared in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.

"We’ve been good friends ever since. This is mine and Boyd’s first show with Belfast Operatic Company and now the three of us are on stage together once again. It’s great to be working with them, we always have such a laugh.”

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a Disney classic with an amazing score. Boyd Rodgers, a primary school teacher, explained what the show is all about:

“As far as the music goes, Hunchback is genuinely unbelievable and sits up there with the very best. While it is based on and features the music from the Disney movie of the 90s, the storyline is also a lot darker.

"It has a lot of themes that resonate with our lives today such as inclusion and acceptance, it makes for a beautiful and captivating story line and I know the audiences will not be disappointed, they can expect to be thoroughly entertained as there truly is something for everyone in the Hunchback.”

With such busy lives, it’s hard to comprehend how people find the time to follow their amateur dramatic dreams but David Bailie, a charity fundraiser who is also studying to become a counsellor said musical theatre is the greatest escape.

“Musical theatre is a great way to escape from my own world and to walk in another person's shoes for a while,” he explained “I believe we're all creative and, for me, being on stage is a way of channelling that creativity and connecting with others over something which brings joy, fulfilment, and a strong sense of meaning.”

The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be showcased at the Grand Opera House from March 7-11, with shows at 7.30pm along with a matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm which will also be signed. The show is recommended for those aged 12+. The best availability is on Wednesday 8 and Thursday March 9.

Ticket on sale now at www.goh.co.uk.