London’s Savoy Hotel became a second home to the famous author Arnold Bennett, who, it is said, based his 1901 novel The Grand Babylon Hotel on the luxury establishment.
And on Thursday evening, watched playwright and ex-Coronation Street actress, Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation at the Hull Truck Theatre.
McAndrew is a co-founder (along with the show’s director Conrad Nelson) of the Claybody Theatre, based in Stoke-on-Trent, and it’s that venue’s production, in association with the New Vic, that is gracing Hull Truck’s stage this week.
Classed as a “rollicking comedy thriller”, my seat in row B afforded me a grand view of the stage setting – a patterned floor in greys, white and black upon which stood a reception desk, table, chairs, suitcases, brass Bellboy trolley and a butler’s station complete with those little bells that guests ring when they want attention.
The jolly opening sequence has three hotel staff (two males, one female), oh so happy in their work, dancing around, all dressed in long black and white waitress dresses; and a moment of magic when a “waitress” jumped on to the (now covered) Bellboy trolley, only to emerge seconds later dressed in gaudy gold, as another rich guest.
But their happiness is short-lived by the arrival of two rich American guests, who, unintentionally at first, put a spanner in their criminal works.
The two, railroad millionaire Theodore Racksole (Bill Champion) and daughter Nella (Alice Pryor), wish to celebrate Nella’s birthday the following day, with her meal request of steak and a Bass beer.
However, haughty waiter Jules (Michael Hugo), tells them chef Rocco (Thomas Cotran) can’t oblige, prompting Theodore to march off, returning to reveal, they will be having steak and beer as he has not only bought the chef, but also the kitchen and the entire hotel from owner Mr Babylon.
And from that moment on, it was hilarity, chaos, mischief, mayhem and goodness knows whodunnit all the way.
During the first few hours of his hotel ownership, there is murder, kidnapping, intrigue, embalming, romance and disappearances. Nothing is as it seems and things only get weirder when a staff member is sacked by the irate American owner.
The staff member reappeared in different guises all night – it was Jules the waiter, who had us in stitches with his multiple personas as crook Tom Jackson, Detective Marshall, a porter, ticket collector and a German prince, Eugen of Posen.
Michael Hugo in all these roles was simply hilarious, with his facial expressions, accents, and exaggerated movements et al.
His actions as the sickly Prince, while being resuscitated, was side-splittingly funny.
But his comic antics were equally matched by Thomas Cotran, whose roles of Prince Aribert of Posen, his aide Reginald Dimmock and chef Rocco, had the audience guffawing every time he appeared – be it clicking his princely heels, dramatically collapsing after an “allergy to haddock” or threateningly brandishing two huge knives.
Then as if we could stomach any more comedy, we have Shelley Atkinson in her roles as receptionist Miss Spencer, mysterious Baroness Zerlinski, a messenger and the sickly prince’s German nanny, Heidi.
Heidi’s accent and babying of the prince was uproariously funny.
Bill Champion’s cigar-chomping, millionaire-turned-detective role saw him clambering up and down “ladders”, in his search to uncover the truth. I swore I saw him dressed as a pirate in one scene, but blink and you would have missed it.
And Alice Pryor’s floppy actions of a damsel in distress in one scene made me laugh out loud. Both were hardly ever off the stage, no mean feat.
All the above took us from London to Ostend and back; so quick were most of the on and off-stage shenanigans, it all resembled an exciting farce.
The scenery changed frequently when the lights dimmed, from the hotel, to its wine cellar, to a yacht, and the gang plank of a ferry to name just a few scenarios.
Costumes were of the era, Edwardian – long dresses for the ladies, smart attire for the men, be they staff or guests.
The story is so convoluted, but all is revealed and we come to learn that staff members had been running a racket to stop Prince Eugen from borrowing £1m from a Mr Levi, money that would make him a worthy suitor to a certain Princess.
Without the dosh, Eugen would die from his shame, leaving Aribert to wear the crown and never be able to marry Nella with whom he had fallen in love.
But Theodore, unwittingly, thwarts the criminals’ plans by lending Eugen the money after being cajoled to do so by his daughter, leaving her free to romance Aribert.
I’m breathless even writing this, it was fantastically exhausting to watch. And so much fun.
The five extremely talented actors entertained for over two hours, and it was genuinely a laugh a minute. I loved it.
The Grand Babylon Hotel runs until Friday, March 13th, 2026 at the Hull Truck Theatre with tickets available from (01482) 323638 or www.hulltruck.co.uk
Reviewer: Jackie Foottit
Reviewed: 12th March 2026
North West End UK Rating:
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