Grand Hotel

This was an afternoon of firsts. My first visit to the Gulbenkian Theatre on the University of Kent campus and what a lovely theatre, so suited to Operama’s first production.

Not altogether familiar with Grand Hotel I looked it up and found that it started life as a novel, then adapted as a play which went on to be made into a film in 1932 starring Greta Garbo, winning an academy award for Best Film. A musical adaption for Broadway in 1958 went nowhere. Revived in 1989 it won more awards on Broadway and in London in 2005 as best revival. Now just over a decade later director Stephen Cresswell’s love of little known ‘gems’ has brought it to Canterbury.

You might think that a large set would be needed but in this instance, not so. We had the clever use of chairs, carried out by the cast to alter scenes, with minimal props. Two open work pillars set to create a barrier between the action and the band, which was at the back of the stage. Cast members also sat at the back, coming forward when it was their ‘turn’. This made for slick scene changes. The imposing chandelier gave the set a luxurious feel.  As I said the band was at the back of the stage, with a good combination of instruments, led by MD Paul Gostling, The playing over dialogue made it difficult to hear sometimes, even though the principals wore mics. Musicians, soloists and ensemble alike were excellent. Costumes looked good and right for the period. Choreography by Abi Staker was minimal but adequate given the limitations of the performing area.

Grand Hotel is set in 1928 Berlin and over the course of a weekend you see into the lives of guests and staff alike. The guests include an ageing ballerina, a broke Baron, a typist dreaming of Hollywood, a dying Jewish book-keeper and a business man finding his way, as well as the staff. They don’t all know each other or even speak together, while others who do meet, have their lives changed forever. It would take too long to talk about each of the complex lives of individual characters but this was a well cast show and each and every one of them did a great job. The production drew you into each of their lives and, in the latter part of the show, the darker side of the guests took hold with tragic endings for some.

Grand Hotel is thought provoking, but well worth the effort and it should have had a larger audience! Thank you Stephen, your cast and crew for bringing back this ‘gem’ to the amateur stage.

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