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With "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", the Thunerseespiele is venturing into one of Disney's darkest themes. From July 9 to August 23, 2025, the lake stage in Thun will be transformed into a medieval Paris set against the backdrop of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains.
Director Dominik Flaschka is bringing a musical to the Thun Lake Stage with "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame". It goes far beyond the usual Disney entertainment. The story of the deformed Quasimodo, who lives in the bell tower of the Paris cathedral, is given new hope by the production. He meets the beautiful Esmeralda, which changes his life.
The new production has an international cast. Denis Riffel, known from "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Jesus Christ Superstar", plays Quasimodo. At his side is Sharon Isabelle Rupa, three-time winner of the German Rock and Pop Award, as Esmeralda. A 45-member ensemble and a 20-member choir under the direction of Patrick Secchiari complete the performance. This gives the music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz a sacred depth.
The creative signature of the Thunerseespiele is particularly evident in the choreography by Jonathan Huor, who has already worked for Pink, Alicia Keys and at the opening ceremony of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne. He is known for his work for the Eurovision Song Contest choreography in Basel; he has been awarded the German Musical Theater Prize several times. With an imposing bell tower, gothic gargoyles and multi-storey scaffolding, Stephan Prattes' set design creates a versatile stage that brings medieval Paris to life.
The Lake Thun Festival has established itself as an important cultural attraction since 2003 and attracts over 75,000 spectators every year.
We are looking forward to the interaction between international musical theater and the Bernese Oberland mountains.
