Writer: Emilie Hetland
Director: Katie O Halloran
In a city where the walls have ears and every noise is a potential paramilitary knock on the door, the stage becomes a pressure cooker. Hotel Eden is set within Rosa Luxembourg’s apartment after her death, a place still filled with her items and her cat Mimmy. This production is a deep dive into the psyche of those left behind. Tilly (Emilie Hetland) and Leo (Ruairi Lenaghan) find themselves pulled into the vacuum left behind by Rosa’s death. Their meeting is not a meeting of mourners in any traditional way, but rather a collision of competing memories. Together, they have to wrestle with the truth of what occurred at Hotel Eden and the ultimate questions that follow after the death of a revolutionary. Who owns the story of a revolutionary? And when a life becomes history, who, if anyone, owns the dead?
While the subject matter of the play is intellectually rich, the narrative is lost throughout. There is a prioritisation of a discussion on Marxist theory which compromises the actual narrative and momentum in the story. The experience of watching this play feels less like a structured play and more as though you have been dropped into someone’s sitting room. Observing a slice of life that lacks a distinct plotline.
The performances could benefit from more nuance, both actors often lean into a heightened style. At times, the emotional delivery seems somewhat forced as the actors anticipate their next line rather than reacting naturally to the moment at hand. This suggests the cast may still be finding their footing. While their energy and passion for the project is obvious, a more grounded approach may help an audience connect more with the performances.
The staging relies heavily on symbolism. At centre stage, there are two mismatched armchairs flanking a bare bulb lamp. This creates an interrogative atmosphere mirroring the reality of Rosa’s final moments before her death. A cascade of books resembling fallen dominos could represent many things, in this instance, it appears to be representative of the fallen. Meanwhile, a wooden crate under a spot light sits like a shrine in the background containing the gathered writings of Rosa. Perhaps the most inventive flourish is the choice in how Mimmy the cat is portrayed. A series of stringed industrial strength lights flicker to life to track her movements across the set. It provides a dynamic pulse to an otherwise relatively stagnant world.
Ultimately this production is a series of strong metaphors searching for a story. While the staging and the inventive light trail portraying Mimmy the cat offer moments of brilliance, they cannot fully compensate for a lack of coherent story. It is a work that asks for the audience to lean in but doesn’t quite take them with it.
Runs Until 28th March 2026.
