Landmark production brings Victor Hugo’s timeless story and Disney’s celebrated music to the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 9–18 October
Oxford College of Business (OCB) has come on board as the Main Sponsor of The Workshop Players’ highly anticipated production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, strengthening the institution’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s arts, culture and creative talent beyond the traditional boundaries of higher education.
One of the most ambitious musical theatre productions to take the Colombo stage in recent years, The Hunchback of Notre Dame will run for ten nights from 9 to 18 October 2026 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo, bringing together an expansive cast, powerful choral performances, music, choreography and theatrical storytelling on an impressive scale. Performances commence at 7.30 p.m.
Inspired by Victor Hugo’s timeless novel and featuring the unforgettable music associated with Disney’s celebrated animated film, the stage musical combines the grandeur audiences associate with the Disney adaptation with the darker, more complex humanity of Hugo’s original story.
With music by Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Peter Parnell, the musical explores enduring questions of belonging, prejudice, compassion, power, faith, freedom and what it truly means to accept those whom society considers different.
For Oxford College of Business, becoming Main Sponso represents a deliberate investment in an area of society that shares much with education itself: the ability to challenge perspectives, nurture talent, stimulate imagination and ultimately transform people.
Supporting a Landmark Moment for Sri Lankan Theatre
The 2026 production represents a particularly significant undertaking for The Workshop Players.
Reports on the production describe it as the first full-length production in Sri Lanka to receive official Disney approval, following a process to secure the necessary rights. The production is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). Approximately 200 people auditioned, with around 70 performers ultimately selected for the production, demonstrating both the scale of the undertaking and the depth of performing talent within Sri Lanka.
The production is directed by Surein de S. Wijeyeratne and produced by Jerome L. de Silva, with music direction by Nishantha Warnakulasuriya and Vindula Perera, and choreography by Ayushka Nugaliyadda.
A major choral component adds another dimension to the production, with a choir helping give voice to the cathedral itself and adding grandeur, sorrow and hope to the musical landscape of Notre Dame. The production’s theatrical world will evoke the cathedral through its towers, iconic rose window and six enormous bells, while relying on the imagination and performance of its ensemble to transport audiences into 15th-century Paris.
Where Education Meets the Arts
For Oxford College of Business, the partnership reflects a broader understanding of what an educational institution should contribute to society.
Oxford College of Business believes education should extend beyond qualifications and classrooms. Creativity, confidence, communication, collaboration, empathy and the courage to see the world through another person’s perspective are equally important in developing thoughtful future leaders.
The performing arts provide a unique environment in which those qualities are cultivated. Commenting on the partnership, Malindu Ranasinghe, Director/CEO of Oxford College of Business, said:
“Education and the arts ultimately share the same extraordinary purpose — both have the power to change the way we see ourselves, each other and the world around us.
At Oxford College of Business, we believe our responsibility extends beyond educating business leaders. We also have a responsibility to support the cultural and creative spaces that make a society richer. Theatre develops confidence, discipline, collaboration and imagination, but more importantly, it builds empathy. It asks us to step into somebody else’s story and see the world from a perspective other than our own.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame carries a particularly powerful message about acceptance, compassion, human dignity and our tendency to judge those who appear different from us. These are conversations that remain profoundly relevant today.
We are therefore immensely proud to stand alongside The Workshop Players as Main Sponsor and to help bring a production of this scale and artistic ambition to Sri Lankan audiences. Above all, I give glory to God for giving us the opportunity to support the extraordinary creative talent that exists within our country.”
A Story Nearly Two Centuries Old — Yet Strikingly Relevant Today
While The Hunchback of Notre Dame offers the spectacle audiences expect from a major musical, at its heart lies an intensely human story.
Centred around Quasimodo, who has spent much of his life hidden within the towers of Notre Dame, the story examines society’s treatment of outsiders and asks audiences to consider the difference between outward appearance and inner humanity.
The stage production moves beyond the lighter elements familiar to audiences from the animated film and draws more deeply from Hugo’s original narrative, exploring themes including the abuse of power, belonging, judgement, faith, freedom, compassion and the human desire for acceptance.
It is precisely this combination of artistic spectacle and social meaning that attracted Oxford College of Business to the production.
As an institution that prepares professionals to lead people and organisations, Oxford College of Business believes that empathy and humanity must remain integral to leadership. Supporting theatre therefore becomes an extension of the institution’s broader educational purpose — developing individuals capable not merely of succeeding professionally, but of understanding and contributing meaningfully to the world around them.
Backing Sri Lanka’s Creative Talent
The sponsorship also reflects OCB’s belief in creating opportunities for Sri Lankan talent to perform, create and collaborate at increasingly ambitious levels.
The Workshop Players have been a fixture of Sri Lanka’s English theatre landscape since their founding in 1992 and are approaching their 35th year of theatre. Their repertoire has included major productions such as Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof.
The scale of The Hunchback of Notre Dame continues that tradition of ambitious musical theatre.
Behind what audiences ultimately see on stage lies months of preparation involving performers, musicians, vocalists, choreographers, designers, technicians and production teams. Rehearsals for the production began in May, with performers undertaking extensive vocal, physical and dramatic preparation ahead of the October opening.
By supporting such productions, Oxford College of Business hopes to contribute to an ecosystem in which creative talent is encouraged to remain ambitious and where Sri Lankan audiences continue to have access to major theatrical experiences at home.
When the Bells of Notre Dame Ring in Colombo
From the monumental score of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz to the imposing world of Notre Dame Cathedral and the deeply human journeys of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, audiences can expect an experience that moves between spectacle and intimacy, darkness and hope.
The production will feature principal roles shared across two casts during its ten-night run, supported by the large ensemble and choir that bring the streets and people of Paris — and Notre Dame itself — to life.
As Main Sponsor, Oxford College of Business is proud to stand behind the cast, musicians, creative team and many individuals working behind the scenes to bring this extraordinary undertaking to the stage.
For an institution built around the transformative power of education, the partnership carries an especially fitting message.
Some lessons are taught in classrooms.Others begin when the curtain rises.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be staged at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo 7, from 9–18 October 2026 at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are available in denominations of Rs. 1,500, Rs. 4,000, Rs. 6,000, Rs. 7,500 and Rs. 10,000 through the Lionel Wendt Theatre and MyTickets.