Hotel

by Polly Stenham

And what does sorry mean? Nothing really. It's just a word. It's what people say when it's too late. It's a sorry little stick of a word. Slick with your spit at my feet.

Secluded, isolated, the perfect desert-island escape. Just what Robert and the family need. But beyond the white sand and beautiful sunsets, a storm is gathering. A thriller that explores the cost of integrity, Hotel by Polly Stenham premiered at the National Theatre, London, in June 2014.

Genres: Plays

80 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2014

Reviews

[F · Rating 4 out of 5]

not quite sure what to think of this yet. a lot to analyze

[Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly whilst Stenham's style will always enthral me, I felt somewhat uncomfortable with how she used violence to deliver her message. Whilst I understand the climate and intention she had, the integration of Somali excerpts within the dialogue in an exclusively violent manner felt mishandled, especially knowing UK theatre audiences are predominantly white middle-class people. Ultimately I think this play could've been so much better if it was tackled with more social awareness akin to the Black Mirror era of political commentary. Perhaps I'm being overly harsh with this review as I did love how Stenham traversed the family dynamic as always but there was something inherently uncomfortable about the centricity of violence within this play.

[Samuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expect this is highly exhilarating to watch and leads people to blindly love it, regardless of its fundamental incoherence in point. It reads like a rushed play. Everything is blatantly obvious, and off-puttingly so. Loose ends are left untied and not even in an elliptical way. I'm glad it only took an evening for me to read because Stenham is no playwright that I'll be reading or seeing any time soon.

(Plus, this edition has numerous spelling errors which is appalling for Faber and Faber.)

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Third world problems' suddenly take on an unexpected immediacy for a wealthy English family on an idyllic vacation in Kenya. Gets a mite didactic and preachy in the 2nd act, but nevertheless, an exciting, visceral play from rising star Stenham.

[Wonderkell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully stark & brutal. Some of the best dialogue I've ever seen, just begging to be read aloud with its cruel repetitive sounds & rhythms. I'd love to do this one.