Arts

OzAsia Festival Review: Hotel

Singaporean theatre company W!ld Rice has created a sprawling epic, which gives audiences a journey through the last 100 years of Singapore history.

Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 18 Sept 2017

Singaporean theatre company W!ld Rice has created a sprawling epic, which gives audiences a journey through the last 100 years of Singapore history. Set in one room in a luxury hotel, this piece presents vignettes from each decade, beginning in 1915. Various characters spend time in the room: a honeymooning couple; a Japanese officer during the occupation; a staff member using the room for an illicit liaison. Each vignette tells the audience something about that decade in world, and Singaporean history.

This lengthy work was put together by the company through a process of devising, dramaturgy and writing, under the direction of Ivan Heng and Glen Goei.  Originally commissioned by the Singapore International Festival of Arts in 2015, its appearance at OzAsia represents its international premiere.

Hotel is not a psychologically deep play, nor does it pretend to be. The characters are ciphers, rather than fully-developed human portrayals. And although presenting some difficult, and heavy, socio-political commentary, the work is generally kept quite light. The acting is delivered in charming, over-the-top, repertory style. Dialogue is tight and sparkling. And there is humour aplenty.

This is an incredibly likeable and warm piece of theatre, which the opening night audience lapped up.  The fourteen cast members are all strong, versatile performers who work seamlessly as an ensemble. Scene segues allow for some musical-style tableaux. Although most of the dialogue is in English, most of the languages of the Malay Peninsula get a run at some stage, and surtitles provide, not just a translation, but information about which language is being spoken. This makes them a part of the show, rather than an adjunct to it.

Hotel is delivered in two parts: Part I being 1915 to 1965; Part II being 1975 to 2015. You can easily see one part without the other, as each vignette is self-contained, and characters do not really weave through the decades.

This is wonderful, accessible, engaging and delightful theatre. Absolutely a highlight of this year’s program.

Reviewed by Tracey Korsten

Part II September 29th 7.30 pm

Part I September 30th 2 pm

Part II September 30th 7.30 pm

Part I  2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)
Part II 1 hour 50 minutes

Venue: Dunstan Playhouse

Tickets:  available from http://www.ozasiafestival.com.au/events/hotel/

 

More News

To Top