Printable CopyHOTEL
OzAsia Festival
Dunstan Playhouse
Until 30 Sep 2017

Review by Luke Wagner

The OzAsia festival is an opportunity to experience the vibrancy that is the celebrated by Asian cultures. As part of the festival performing arts takes center stage and “Hotel” is absolutely a star.

“Hotel” is a grand five hour theatre experience told in two separate performances. The opening night featured part one only. The story is told from the vantage point of a hotel in Singapore over the span of 100 years. During part one we see a couple on their honeymoon, a family reunion, a world famous spiritualist, a soldier whose world is about to change, an Indian film director and a service manager having an affair.

The brilliance of this play is its simplicity. By having the Hotel as the unifying aspect of the story, the audience is taken on a fully immersive journey reflective of the changes of decade as they pass. This was beautifully underlined by the stunning visuals that enveloped the stage during the transitions. The ensemble are seamless and create a stunning ambience as they change the scene each time as well as taking on new characters.

The cast are to be commended for taking on such an enormous challenge and for delivering such a fine performance.

This production is brave and bold in its scope and it absolutely lives up to the expectations that are set for it. A feeling of grandeur all from the space of a single room.