Fans of close calls, marital drama and role-play in the style of Faulty Towers comedy may get their sense of wacky humour satisfied at St. Albert Theatre Troupe’s upcoming performance of Hotbed Hotel.
The plot – written by playwright Michael Parker – centres around Terri (Beverley Luckett Nafe) and Brian Cody (Brett Hammerlindl), a couple of hotel owners that are desperately trying to sell their one-star hotel in the Florida Keys. But only one buyer has expressed interest in it, a Mr. Sam Lewis (Terry Hall) from New York.
When Mr. Lewis suddenly announces that he will visit the hotel, the Codys’ realize they need more guests to bolster his interest and make the hotel appear busier than it is.
So the staff devises a plan to masquerade as paying guests. That’s where things go a little crazy as there are only two other people working at the hotel– maintenance man Hopkins (Bob Locicero) and sexy housekeeper Maureen (Sandra McCallum).
While Hopkins decides to play a reverend, Maureen combines the rules of receptionist, maid and room service – often confusing her roles and outfits. But while everyone tries to sell the hotel, Mr. Lewis is more interested in a sexy weekend with his girlfriend Ashley (Rhonda Kruger Kozuska) – until his wife Dorothy (Rachel Chechoo) shows up unexpectedly, of course.
To make things more complicated, barracuda Hailey Harrington (Faye Roy), decides to visit the hotel for her annual week of man hunting, while the town’s mayor Ponsenby (Graham Blackely) has his own ways of helping the staff sell their hotel.
Director Mark McGarrigle said he chose the play because of its wacky sense of humour, word plays and many twists and turns.
“I read it and I found this one would be good for an ensemble cast where the husband and wife are the main characters but everyone else has a really big part in it,” he said. “It’s a lot of physical comedy and suggestive positions, all kinds of comedy.”
McGarrigle added that frequent visitors to his dinner theatre shows can look forward to an extended buffet, created by former Riverhouse Grill cook Jessy Dean.
St. Albert Theatre Troupe will perform Hotbed Hotel on Oct. 17 to 19, 24 to 26 and Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and 2 at the Kinsmen Korral Hall at 47 Riel Drive in St. Albert. Tickets for the dinner theatre package are $50; $45 for seniors, and can be purchased at stalberttheatre.com or by calling the box office 780-222-0102.
