{"id":28947,"date":"2016-04-01T15:40:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T07:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/?p=28947"},"modified":"2021-04-30T16:47:51","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T08:47:51","slug":"we-hope-you-enjoy-your-stay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/we-hope-you-enjoy-your-stay\/","title":{"rendered":"We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s hard not to marvel at the creative genius and hard work that went into constructing a five-hour epic like HOTEL<\/em>. Directors Ivan Heng and Glen Goei and playwrights Alfian Sa\u2019at and Marcia Vanderstraaten reveal just what it takes to create a theatrical blockbuster!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotel Singapura<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

HOTEL<\/em> was first conceptualised as part of the 2015 Singapore International Festival of Arts, in accordance with its theme of \u2018Post-Empire\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan had long been toying with the idea of a hotel as a metaphor for what Singapore used to be and still is now. \u201cWe spend significant moments of our lives in a hotel,\u201d he says. \u201cThen we leave, the chambermaids come in, and basically remove all traces of us in preparation for the next guest to arrive. It also doubles as a metaphor for life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he brought this to the table for discussion, the idea immediately appealed to his fellow collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also wanted to tell a different version of the SG50 story, one that delves into Singapore\u2019s history before 1965,\u201d Glen chimes in. \u201cSetting the play in a grand hotel works very well, as it would have served as a witness to the different ups and downs in Singapore\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
First table read of the script with cast and creative team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Journey to the Past<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The show took the playwrights and directors, in collaboration with a cast of 13 actors, a year to put together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to present the different characters and eras authentically, research was a critical part of the process. \u201cI became quite an omnivorous reader,\u201d says Alfian. \u201cI read plays by Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward to get a sense of how the British upper crust spoke; books about the Japanese Occupation; and newspaper articles published in the week after Separation to get a sense of the public mood, which is very different from that of the political elites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their research also gave both playwrights a greater appreciation for the wealth of narrative potential to be found in Singapore\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is so much more to Singapore \u2013 so many more stories, a vast expanse of history that has been kept out of the citizenry\u2019s imagination \u2013 that I think people ought to consider and explore,\u201d Marcia observes. \u201cPeople are made of stories, after all, and what is a nation but collective memory? Or, in Singapore\u2019s case, a collective delusion?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Improvisation is serious business for the cast of HOTEL<\/em>!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Working It Out<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Two workshops, each lasting a fortnight, were held months before rehearsals started. In the first workshop, the actors were tasked to research a decade in Singapore\u2019s history. \u201cGoing back generations, they mined the history of Singapore and the world, as well as their own life experiences,\u201d says Ivan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team then spent the second workshop generating material, with actors improvising scenes inspired by their research. Although several scenes did not make the final cut, they nonetheless inspired the stories that play out on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of the best ideas came from the actors,\u201d Marcia confirms. \u201cEven though we went away and wrote the scenes on our own, the cast had ownership, too, of some of the general ideas that went through the play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, many characters who pop up in HOTEL<\/em> grew out of particular skill sets that the actors possess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf an actor could sing, then I\u2019d be inspired to write a scene where there\u2019s singing involved,\u201d Alfian explains. \u201cIf an actor could speak Japanese, then this allowed me to tell a story from the Japanese perspective, rather than that of those who suffered under their rule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire process has been refreshing and inspiring for Alfian. \u201cI\u2019d really like to continue with this kind of actor-centred playwriting in the future,\u201d he muses, \u201cWhere I cast a play first, with only a brief outline of what it is about, and then work closely with an actor to flesh it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
No pain, no gain! Glen and Ivan sharing a laugh during rehearsals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Show Must Go On!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Constructing HOTEL<\/em> had its fair share of challenges and obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing the script was an arduous, monumental undertaking that saw Alfian and Marcia polishing and re-tooling scenes right down to the last minute. The final version of the script was completed a mere three days before bump-in. \u201cWe were just so panicky\u2026 it was crazy,\u201d Glen admits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directing a five-hour play with scenes in nine different languages was no picnic either. For the first time ever, Ivan had to direct scenes in Japanese and Cantonese, languages that he and most of the actors in those scenes neither spoke nor understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did he and the cast overcome this challenge? \u201cWith a great deal of perseverance, patience and hard work,\u201d he laughs. The actors also had language coaching and learned to break down their lines \u201cso they could say a word with meaning\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That, however, was not the toughest problem he had to overcome. \u201cFor me, the most challenging thing was to find a narrative spine in the show that would bring the 11 scenes and decades together: to have a beginning and an end, and to ensure that what was being said in one scene would resonate in another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The team behind HOTEL<\/em> at curtain call<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It Takes A Village<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Were they expecting the acclaim HOTEL<\/em> received? \u201cWe had no time to think about such things,\u201d Glen recalls. \u201cIvan and I watched the show in its entirety for the first time during the dress rehearsal. I think we were all terrified about just getting the show on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only clue he got that hinted at the possibility of HOTEL<\/em> becoming an instant success was the hug he received from a critic after the first show. \u201cYou never get a hug from a critic \u2013 anywhere in the world!\u201d he exclaims. \u201cBut to get a response like that\u2026 it gave me the sense that we were on to something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, HOTEL<\/em> won four major awards at the 2016 M1-Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards, including Production of the Year, Best Director, Best Playwright and Best Ensemble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glen is emphatic about one thing: HOTEL<\/em> would not exist without the effort, passion and talent of every single person who worked on the show. \u201cHOTEL<\/em> was a collaboration in the truest sense of the word,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was alchemy: 30 people who really believe in the show, just working together to create something good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan hopes HOTEL<\/em> will enable audience members to take a step back and examine themselves and the world they live in. \u201cSo much of our lives are spent looking at our differences and at what divides us,\u201d he says. \u201cBut, in HOTEL<\/em>, we are doing the opposite. We have this sweeping perspective of time that allows both artists and audiences to see what it is that connects us all as human beings. Ultimately, we are all travellers that are just here for the duration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOTEL<\/em>, runs throughout the Singapore Theatre Festival from 30 June to 24 July 2016! Visit www.singaporetheatrefestival.com<\/a> for more information!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Creating an Epic: Chatting with the Directors and Playwrights of HOTEL – By Tiara Yap<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":28948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[129,45,95,44,34,298],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}