The Hotel

An uproarious French farce adapted from the comedic genius of Georges Feydeau

Director's Notes I Cast & Crew I Gallery I Reviews I Performances

Featuring improbable situations, mistaken identity, comic disaster, general pandemonium…

In The Hotel, love is tested, confusion reigns and the most unlikely partners find themselves thrown together in a night of intrigue and chaos.

From the court jester to Ricky Gervais, comedians have found their humour in the world of disability. Now it’s the turn of actors with learning disabilities to reveal their own innate comic instincts and make the rest of us laugh.

Lie, dissemble and cheat

It seemed appropriate, after spending the previous 12 months doing a combination of Shakespearean tragedy and a show about disability hate crime, for Blue Apple to turn its attention to something, a little funnier, a little lighter and less portentous.

With many in the company there is a strong, natural tendency to try and make audiences laugh; the previous two shows hadn’t offered a great many opportunities for this to happen.

But, if there was any thought that doing comedy would be easier than tragedy or social drama, that miscomprehension was quickly dispelled.

The Government Inspector, two years ago, had provided some experience of performing farce – but not to the degree of technical precision that the likes of Feydeau demand. This show starts fast, and gets faster – the lines, the action. Improbable situation piles upon improbable situation, deception upon deception.

Certainly, it’s been a challenge. Much work on speed and precision. Other challenges – such as the decision, because of budget & logistics, to do a ‘bedroom farce’, which depends greatly on doors, without any doors (!)

Also, the challenge of directing a cast who, collectively, have barely a ‘lying’ bone in their bodies, to play characters who ‘lie, dissemble and cheat’ at every available opportunity.

But, at the end of the day, it has, after all, been fun.

Peter Clerke
Artistic Director

Cast & Crew

James Ellsworthy - Police Chief
David Hunt - Inspector 1
Elena Moody - Inspector 2
Lawrie Morris - M. Pinglet
Katie Appleford - Angélique Pinglet
Tommy Jessop - M. Paillardin
Ros Davies - Marcelle Paillardin
Aaron Pressman - Maxime
Hannah Lowe - Victoire
James Benfield - Mathieu
Katy Francis - Marguerite
Jocelyn Kirby - Mimi
Michelle Pluck - Fufu
Emma Rabjohn - Ju/ Catwoman
Holly Crompton - Ju
Rachel Osbourne - Pipi
Andrew Malster - Camembert/ Terrorist
Alice Peck - Brie/ Terrorist
James Smith - Bastardeau
Neil White - Bouillon
Lucy Parrott - Marie 1
Katie Cole - Marie 2
Ryan Nicholas - Chervet / Porter
Jason Kidd - Catman / Porter
Daniel Austin - Porter
Polly Troup - Porter
Chris Pearce - Porter
Will Hall - Porter
Rebecca - Sheppard Porter
Ellie Askew - Porter
Sue Dashper - Porter

Director - Peter Clerke
Script - Will Jessop
Choreographer - Jo Harris
Design - Su Houser & Kate Theodore
Costume - Jenni Sundheim
Production Manager - Ben Ward
Lighting Designer - Mark Dymock
Graphic Design - Rich Williams
Photography - Will Jessop
Marketing - Jane Jessop