A hotel in Singapore is opened at the turn of the century, when the island is still a jewel in the British Crown. It serves as an exotic pit stop for travelers who wish to explore the glittering expanse of the British Empire.
Each day, new faces appear and swiftly disappear – guests and staff alike. Every ten years, we check into the hotel and meet its residents. As Singapore morphs from British colony to Malaysian state to sovereign nation, its denizens experience profound and dramatic changes. We meet Indian mutineers, Cantonese nannies, Malay film stars, Japanese soldiers, transsexual sex workers, wedding guests and suspected terrorists. They live out the pivotal moments in their personal lives, even as empires die and new ones are born from their ashes.
The chambermaids clean up all signs of them when they leave, readying the room for the next guests. But traces persist, and time reveals its cyclical nature. Ghosts communicate with the living, doubles are separated by decades, and a single moment of decision haunts the generations that come after.
An immersive, multi-generational epic, HOTEL explores the notions of empire, nationhood, migration and identity against the backdrop of a shrinking world. Spanning a century, and performed over five hours in nine languages, HOTEL is a ground-breaking theatrical event highlighting the eclectic energies born from the collisions between the old and the new, East and West, tradition and modernity.
HOTEL, commissioned by the Singapore International Festival of Arts and produced in partnership with W!LD RICE, premiered on 27th Aug 2015 at the Victoria Theatre, Singapore.
Cast
Ben Cutler
Brendon Fernandez
Ghafir Akbar
Sharda Harrison
Jo Kukathas
Dwayne Lau
Lim Kay Siu
Moo Siew Keh
Neo Swee Lin
Pam Oei
Siti Khalijah Zainal
Julie Wee
Yap Yi Kai
Creative Team
Directors: Ivan Heng & Glen Goei
Playwright: Alfian Sa’at & Marcia Vanderstraaten
Set Designer: Wong Chee Wai
Lighting Designer: Lim Woan Wen
Sound Designer: The Gunnery
Multimedia Designer: Brian Gothong Tan
Costume Designer: Theresa Chan
Movement Coach: Ben Cutler
Hair Designer: Ashley Lim
Make-up Designer: The Make Up Room
Translator & Language Coach (Cantonese): Hung Chitt Wah & Moo Siew Keh
Translator & Language Coach (Japanese): Ken Takiguchi & Hiroko Takiguchi
Production Team
Producer: Tony Trickett
Production Manager: Leong Mun Hoi
Production Co-ordinator: Sai Sandhya Silvalingam
Production Assistant: Deena Shaqinah
Technical Manager: Nor Alfian Bin Nor Anuar
Stage Manager: Juraidah Rahman
Assistant Stage Managers: Azy Alias, Chong Wee Nee & Charlene Poh
Props Master: Frankie Wong
Stage Assistants: Gary Lee & Hatta Sulaiman
Sound Engineer/Operator: Joel Manuel Fernandez
Multimedia Operator: Chris Yadao
Surtitle Operator: Melissa Chin
Wardrobe Manager: Tan Jia Hui
Dressers: Farah Adriana Binte Mohammed Zaini, Nur Hidayah Binte Adnan & Nur Nasriah Binte Mohamad Said
Hair Assistants: Jane Neo & Michelle Wai
(Source: Synopsis from Wild Rice Website and Credits from Wild Rice Programme)