ISSUE 220 March 2026
The Grand Babylon Hotel. Cheerful, funny, good feel thriller...
At Hull Truck Theatre, 10th March 2026
Review by Andrew Sugden
The auditorium fades into darkness, the stage bursts into brightness, and a blast of music and dance in exaggerated comedy immediately draws the audience into chaos, madness… and fun. The real world’s woes fade, at least for a while.
Three chambermaids scurry onto the stage, twirling benignly, ballet-like. Suddenly they rip off their aprons and stand in an evil, sinister loiter. This sets the scene for the entire play.
Enter Nella Racksole, played innocently youthful, but independent and strong, by Alice Pryor. She is the daughter of billionaire American entrepreneur Theodore Racksole, played confidently and assured by Bill Champion, with a lovely sonorous American accent, making his moments of single point of view conversations with the audience, delightful.
Enter Michael Hugo, as a snooty maître d', scanning the room with intense focus, swift, precise, arm held stiffly behind his straight arched back. A professional smile towards the guests, he turns to the audience with a snarl, this new obstacle in his path, worse... Americans.
All Nella wants is a steak and a bottle of beer for her birthday dinner, at the luxurious Grand Babylon Hotel. But it’s not on the menu… until her father buys the hotel.
She gets the steak and runs the hotel. But it’s not simple… staff disappear, a guest dies in mysterious circumstances, and a German Prince vanishes. These events set off a journey of thriller rides, of highs and lows down secret tunnels and pursuits across Europe… all played out in deadly and macabre… fun.
A gripping and humorous story unfolds, told with wit and skill, deftly adapted by Deborah McAndrew from Arnold Bennett’s original story, and cleverly directed by Conrad Nelson.
James Atherton’s music accompanies scenes evocative of black and white movie thrillers, synchronising each footstep, floorboard creep and plot twist, blending with Damian Coldwell’s sound effects, and Daniella Beattie’s use of narrow chunks of light for constricted areas, alongside sudden bursts of brightness at climatic moments emphasising tension and misgiving.
And all this, complemented by Lis Evans’ set and costume design and Beverley Norris-Edmunds’ choreography, brings the 1920s perfectly to life.
The actors skilfully morph into new personalities right before our eyes. Michael Hugo, as adaptable as a shape-shifter, effortlessly transforms into various characters. A snobbish maître d’, then later, he emerges as a roughened sailor on a ship’s planking, before transforming into the insane Prince Eugen.
Shelley Atkinson as the sinister Miss Spencer, then later the wacky German nanny Heidi. Thomas Cotran as the very English Reginald Dimmock, then later the very German, foot-clicking , mesmerised and liberated by Nella, Prince Aribert, and a very nimble dancer too.
In fact, it’s hard to believe there are only five actors in the cast to cope with the fifteen characters in the play…. Ah yes, they couldn’t. They had to borrow Colin from the audience, the sixteenth character… and he was a genuine star.
The audience laughed, giggled, clapped and gasped, throughout, and it was noticeable the smile on peoples faces and the friendly look in their eyes, as they left the auditorium and a bubble of conversations could be heard, people expressing their enjoyment.
It’s a pleasure to see a grassroots theatre emerging, in its own unique way, mirroring Hull Truck’s own journey. Claybody Theatre is one to look out for. click for link.