A sensational, electrifying, dazzling, and at times, overwhelming performance, L’Hotel is steeped in a splendour that promises delight at every turn. Created by Craig Ilott and Stuart Couzens, the boozy Parisian ensemble returns for an encore season in the Foundry Theatre, after a successful showcase at the Sydney Opera House in 2022.
The show is an intoxicating blend of cabaret, burlesque, and circus performance, rolled into an expertly produced 75-minute spectacular. It has a revolving door cast of varied and wonderful performers, all taking their turn in the spotlight. Old hands such as the remarkable John Waters are balanced against bright talents Brendan Maclean and Masha Terentieva. The result is a spectacular amalgamation of style, glamor, and romance that’s impossible to turn away from.
Entering the theatre, we are greeted with the façade of a two-story hotel. The concierge stands at his welcome desk, an ornate chandelier dangles from the rafters above a central tableux, covered in flowers and wine. Audience members are being led to tables scattered around the room, waiters in bow ties serve champagne as accompanying musicians serenade the ‘restaurant’. For those closest to the stage, we become part of a bohemian performance that began before the show had even started. As the lights dim and all the seats fill, heads turn to the stage for the opening act. However, a ripple of shock and amazement rocks the room, as nobody walks on-stage. Instead, the wait-staff drop their disguise and snap into a tightly choreographed dance routine, expertly moving through the crowded set to start the show. As they move, the hotel springs to life. Cleaners begin to appear from behind doors, a woman checks in at the front desk, and the bellhops start manoeuvring luggage on an ornate trolley. In this hurricane of movement, we are swept up and spun away, thrown from reality into a burlesque dreamland, leaving Kansas thoroughly behind in the process.
Over the course of the show, the building unfurls before our eyes, and the secrets of the inhabitants of L’Hotel are teased out. By the piano is a young bellhop, yearning for love, in the bathhouse, two women engage in a steamy love affair; a couple embrace as they hang from the ceiling. There’s romance, drama, intrigue, and enough scantily-clad performers to keep everyone thoroughly enthralled. As my friend remarked to me, “there’s never been a better time to be bisexual”.
The song choice was a particularly enticing element of the performance. Throughout the performance audiences are treated to an eclectic mix of more energetic contemporary French dance tracks, sultry jazz-themed scores, and the occasional heart-wrenching ballad. There is a small selection of live musicians, but many of the performances are accompanied by a backing track. For the most part this works excellently, giving a fresh voice to acts that originated over 100 years ago, and allowing a sense of enjoyment and fun which joins the raucous parties of the Parisian underbelly to contemporary Sydney nightlife. However, this does sometimes miss the mark, and the captivating ballad so evocatively sung by John Waters is partially undone by the grating dubstep-heavy cabaret act that follows it.
Yet, these minor issues take little away from what is an incredibly vibrant, and totally engaging performance. Each act is sharp and polished; nothing lingers or drags for time. Every segment adds on the one before, each stunt is original, nothing is ever done twice.
For the finale, Terenteiva performs an incredible display of acrobatic prowess, spinning around and through a glass-bottomed luggage trolley, suspended midair. As she swirls through the lights, she is joined by Maclean, singing out a love song as he gazes up at her. It was a moment that touched and dazzled. Praise must be given to Ilott and Couzens For all the intricate staging and costuming decisions; the performances are not full of gimmicky set pieces. Instead, the directors step back, opting to celebrate the skill and artistry of the performers on display.
As the lights blink on, and L’Hotel fades away, it takes a while for everyone to move. Having spent over an hour falling down Alice’s rabbit hole, it feels almost a shame to have landed back in our seats, right where we started. L’Hotel is a whole circus masquerading as an overnight stay, there’s something for everyone to enjoy, you just need to look hard enough. And don’t forget to tip your bellboy on the way out.
L’Hotel ran from 29th May to 27th July at the Foundry Theatre.
