Unirii Square, Main stage
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Quasimodo: Lorenzo Alba
Esmeralda: Giulia Fattorini
Frollo: Matej Huťka
Captain: Gennaro Desiderio
Mother: Millie Thompson
Company: Samuel Bojnanský, Dávid Bosák, Nina Ďuríková, Miroslav Figura, Mercedes Fernández González, Šimon Novomeský, Nataša Okrucká, Tamara Semanová, Alica Szilagyiova, Emma Perez, Kristína Puterková, Sophia Stašková, Raffaele Zarrella
description
show category: ballet
OPERA APERTA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2026
On Saturday, 27 June, at 8:30 PM, the International Opera Aperta Festival 2026 presents The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, a ballet performance by Slovak Dance Theatre, on the Main Stage in Unirii Square.
The performance proposes a contemporary interpretation of Victor Hugo’s novel, choreographed and directed by Ján Ďurovčík. The production does not follow a classical retelling of the story, but places the action in an imagined Paris of the near future, around the year 2050. This perspective is supported by the costumes created by designer Lukáš Krnáč and by the visual concept of Notre-Dame Cathedral, presented in a modern and futuristic light.
At the centre of the performance is Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of the cathedral, isolated from the world and forced to watch life from the heights of Notre-Dame’s towers. His relationship with Esmeralda becomes the main focus of the dramatic construction, alongside the tensions generated by Frollo and the Captain of the Guard. The production also introduces a symbolic character, the alter ego of Quasimodo’s mother, who accompanies him throughout the action and intervenes at key moments in the story.
The music of the performance is composed by Henrich Leško, and the production premiered on 27 March 2025 at JANART Theatre in Bratislava. Through its choreographic language, visual construction, and updated narrative framework, the performance brings to the forefront themes such as marginalisation, power, desire, compassion, and the relationship between the individual and society.
Slovak Dance Theatre is the only professional company of its kind in Slovakia, founded by choreographer Ján Ďurovčík. For more than two decades, the company has presented dance theatre performances on stages in Slovakia and abroad, with appearances in cities such as Tokyo, London, Beijing, New York, Madrid, Rome, Vancouver, and Toronto.
The event is expected to end around 9:45 PM.
Admission is free.
Recommended age: 7+
The International Opera Aperta Festival is organised with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Cluj-Napoca City Hall, the Cluj-Napoca Local Council, the Cluj County Council, and the “Opera 2 You” Association.