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Hunchback of Notre Dame part 5

Artform performed Huchback of Notre Dame at the Bob Hope Theatre April 2024. In this podcast Some of those involved in the production have a conversation  about their experience.

Pauline (Polly) Hart

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of one of our performers.

Polly – who performed under the name of Pauline Gregoire, was a much-loved supporter of, and performer with, Artform.

She was a great fan of all things Sondheim, and so joined Artform in 1990 to play Joanne in Company, one of her dream roles as she got to deliver the song Ladies Who Lunch.

She nearly didn’t make it on stage as both she and her onstage husband, played by Chris Arden, damaged their backs and were both using walking sticks at one point!

Polly then appeared as Mrs Purkiss in The Matchgirls, performed at the Bob Hope Theatre in 1991, delivering a strong cockney character of the East End of London – similar to a character we were to see later on at the Churchill Theatre in the WWOS production of Sweeney Todd, where she gave such an outstanding performance as Mrs Lovett.

1992 saw her turn in one of her most memorable comedy roles as the Inspector in The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery, complete with moustache, deer stalker and suit!

She returned to her beloved Sondheim again in 1994 to play the Stepmother in Into the Woods, where she could again ramp up the glamour. 

Finally, Polly was there at the first production of Artform’s relaunch in 2013, playing Madame Armfeldt in her third Sondheim show with us, A Little Night Music, bringing together her elegance and emotional vocal and acting ability.

Polly continued to be a great supporter of Artform until the Covid lockdown limited her health and independence. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Read about the history behind the Hunchback of Notre Dame from novel to stage, in the words of our Director, Matthew Westrip.

Artform are delighted to announce our full scale production sold out and was a great success.

To read an intoduction from the Director go to the productions tab above.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a musical play based on the 1831 novel of the same name written by Victor Hugo with songs from the 1996 Walt Disney Animation Studios film.

News Update   Artform is currently presenting productions at the Bob Hope Theatre in Eltham as the Broadway Theatre in Catford is no longer viable for Artform. We have had the opportunity to try out different performance spaces, and work flexibly to produce varied entertainment, according to the community or audience. 

We have started plans on a small scale, and are delighted to have worked with the Corbett Library, Catford in producing a fund-raising one-night-only cabaret.

We are continuing with our podcasts ‘An Afternoon with Artform’, where creatives and performers discuss the challenges and experiences of previous productions.