Longford's Backstage Theatre Group: What's the story with The Hotel Room?
Backstage Theatre Group continue with their 35th anniversary programme by staging their production of The Hotel Room by Anthony Burgoyne this weekend.
The play is the second full length production this year, following the very successful run by the group with John B Keane's play, Sive, earlier this year.
“We are really looking forward to bringing this show to the stage,” director Ollie Kenny told the Leader, “The cast is a blend of seasoned actors and players making their stage debuts. The Hotel Room has a cast of 10, with only two member of this cast involved in the Spring production. We are introducing three new faces to the stage in this show.”
This will be the first production of this play in Ireland, and Olly says the cast have put in a great deal of effort to do the play justice: “They have worked very hard to bring the play to life. There is a great deal to it, it is very humorous.”
The play is a situation comedy, written by Ashley Burgoyne. It has entertained audiences all over the UK and it promises to deliver at Longford’s Backstage Theatre this Friday (October 20) and Saturday (October 21).
“We are guaranteed a highly entertaining weekend in the Backstage Theatre with this wonderful comedy, which has an intriguing plot that will keep the audience engrossed from start to finish,” Olly said.
In the play four couples use the same hotel room on four consecutive nights. Each couple has their own expectations of their stay, and the maids thrive on the gossip. The hotel room is not the only thing which the four couples have in common. Connections go beyond their choice of overnight accommodation.
The first to enter the hotel room are Susan (Sarah O'Keeffe) and Andrew (Anthony Heavey), trying desperately to have a romantic night away from the kids for the first time in four years but things don’t exactly go as planned.
Next up are George (Peter Columb) and Caroline (Mary McLoughlin), a one night stopover before their holiday leads them to digging up past memories that should, perhaps, have remained buried.
Dallas (Killian Reid) and Olivia (Michelle Ciba) are the young couple who check in under an alias, not knowing the link between this hotel room and those they hold close.
Claire (Eileen Murphy) and Peter (Damien Bennett) are the final occupants who reveal the connections that link all the couples in this interconnected story.
The chambermaids, Megan (Niamh Quinn Hanley) and Trish (Dee Monahan), observe and reflect on the hilarious goings on in Room 27.
The Hotel Room, by Backstage Theatre Group is on this Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21 in Backstage Theatre, Longford at 8pm. Admission €15 / €12 concessions.
Telephone: 043 33 47888 www.backstage.ie