★½

“Despite flashes of charm, the show suffers from uneven storytelling”

‘The Endless Hotel’ bills itself as a dreamy sanctuary for creativity – a new gig theatre musical where imagination checks in and never leaves. Despite its lofty ambitions, it drifts into a slumber with bland storytelling and forgettable melodies. There are glimmers of heart and sincerity, but for a show about nurturing creativity, it’s disappointingly low on spark.

‘The Endless Hotel’ holds the power of dreams. Myra, an unappreciated cleaner, longs to become one of the hotel’s sought-after singers. When auditions open, she sees a glimmer of hope – until Adam, the hotel’s outgoing star, cons her into handing over her room keys. As Adam leaves, he asks Myra to head down early – but her unhearing right ear misses this. Luckily, she also avoids becoming another victim in Adam’s quest to seize the hotel’s dream power. Myra’s the only one who can save the hotel and the people in it – but can she find the courage to believe in herself?

Presented by Weaver Line, the writing needs significant work. The convoluted premise demands heavy exposition, making for a sluggish start. It gets better once it settles into its magical, dreamlike rhythm, but continues to unfold with predictable beats. Despite flashes of charm, the show suffers from uneven storytelling, with some plot points over-explained, others barely touched, and a notable lack of dramatic tension. The stakes remain unclear, leaving the audience adrift in a narrative that struggles to define itself. Tonally, it wavers between sincere drama and pantomime, never quite committing to either. The result is a production that feels caught between genres and – ironically – unsure of its own voice.

The direction makes imaginative use of props, with a black and silver scarf becoming rivers, icicles and magical capes. Though the sudden shifts from acted scenes to static musical numbers stall the show’s momentum.

For a gig theatre piece written by a band, the music is surprisingly forgettable. While a few numbers show flashes of musical interest, the score leans heavily on four-chord structures with somewhat clunky lyrics. All songs are performed by a single lead vocalist, which, in a two-hander format, creates an imbalanced dynamic and reduces the scope for structural and harmonic variety.

The staging is stripped-back, centring on a piano and guitar in keeping with the gig theatre vibe. Costume choices offer moments of whimsy, notably a scraggly jacket cleverly doubling as the wings of a talking bird. However, the technical elements falter: sound levels are uneven, with the guitar overpowering other components, and muffled microphones frequently obscure lyrics. Lighting design lacks nuance, relying on basic colour washes for dialogue and jarring flashes during musical numbers, which undercuts their emotional sincerity.

The two-hander cast, comprised of Sally Horowitz and Benjamin Way, demonstrate musical skill. Horowitz’s breathy alto, coloured with folky warmth, pairs well with Way’s confident guitar work. However, the score underuses Horowitz’s upper register and gives Way little more than basic backing vocals, missing opportunities for real vocal prowess. On the acting front, the performances are uneven. Way handles multiple roles with relative ease, though occasional lapses in character cause a disconnect. Horowitz brings energy and warmth, though relies more on charm than emotional depth.

‘The Endless Hotel’ is currently more restless night than sweet dream, weighed down by issues in writing, tech and performance. While the idea has heart, the staging doesn’t quite deliver. In its current form, it feels more like a work-in-progress than a fully realised piece of theatre.

CUL-DE-SAC

Omnibus Theatre

★★★

“Ultimately it is a moving piece, that takes us behind the twitching curtains of suburbia”

Northwood Hills. Zone 6 London. The middle of nowhere. With apologies to the residents of HA6, that is where we find Ruth Townsend and company, at a bit of a dead end. It’s not so much that Ruth hates where she lives, she just dislikes the ‘concept’ of suburbia. ‘And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”’ is no doubt a constant refrain in here head. The Talking Heads song does indeed make an appearance as part of the well-chosen soundtrack to David Shopland’s new play, “Cul-de-Sac”. Billed as a comedy-drama it is, more accurately, a comedy and then a drama. In that order. The first act sets up the situation and characterisation with lashings of humour, no holds barred; while Act Two belongs to the very different genre of psychological drama. Both halves, together, make for a long evening and, although we leave with much to contemplate and talk about, we are also trying to think of a ruthless editor to recommend to Shopland.

It is a finely structured piece, nevertheless, zooming in on the secrets and resentments of the characters that have wound up in the eponymous, yet unnamed, cul-de-sac. None are stereotypes or caricatures, but they all do conform to a particular ‘type’. Shopland is a great observer of human nature, and the laughs can sometimes give way to gasps. Shades of Edward Albee, Mike Leigh and Joe Orton are all present, but they compete with, rather than blend into, each other.

Ruth (Shereen Roushbaiani) and Frank (Ellis J. Wells) have been living on the cul-de-sac for three years and have never really got to know the neighbours that well yet. Roushbaiani presents Ruth’s dissatisfaction with a delicacy that we feel could crack at any moment. It is a wonder it doesn’t shatter sooner given Wells’ shouty, cantankerous Frank. Nervous neighbour, Marie, unwittingly wanders into their life and living room. Lucy Farrett, in a bid to sustain the volume set by Wells, sacrifices the subtlety of Marie’s neuroses and secrets with an over-emphasised delivery. Callum Patrick Hughes, as Simon, gurns and twitches his way into the fold as the lovable misfit. Late to the party is Behkam Salehani, as Hamza, a figure that turns the tide and makes us look at the others in a completely different way.

‘What starts as a quiet evening rapidly unravels…’ we are told in the publicity blurb. Only it is the other way around. It begins quite raucously (too raucously) and gradually drifts into quieter, more introspective territory. The cast seem to be trying too hard initially, which hinders our belief in their characters. Emotions run too high too soon. Touches of surreal choreography open each act during which we can see the question marks hovering above the actors’ heads as well as the audience. Shopland, who also directs, is packing in too many ingredients and we are losing our way a bit. A soliloquy about religious and racial persecution seems to appear out of nowhere.

But then the penny drops. Shopland delivers a twist, the true colours show through and at last we prick up our ears. The sadness that has bubbled to the surface is palpable and the performances have settled into a pool of poignancy, its stillness amplifying the emotions. A false ending, however, trips us up. Shopland should have quit while he was winning, but instead the narrative coasts into a kind of group therapy session where they are trying to outdo each other in the trauma stakes. A bit like the Monty Python ‘Yorkshireman’ sketch; “You were lucky…”

Ultimately it is a moving piece, that takes us behind the twitching curtains of suburbia. Occasionally predictable yet with a sharp insight into the complications, secrets and tragedies of seemingly ordinary people. The shift from humour to pathos is powerfully executed, although a bit drawn out. We may be in a cul-de-sac but, at times, it seems it has no end.

THE ENDLESS HOTEL

Omnibus Theatre

★½

“Despite flashes of charm, the show suffers from uneven storytelling”

THE ENDLESS HOTEL

Omnibus Theatre

Reviewed on 12th October 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE ENDLESS HOTEL

THE ENDLESS HOTEL

THE ENDLESS HOTEL

CUL-DE-SAC

Omnibus Theatre

★★★

“Ultimately it is a moving piece, that takes us behind the twitching curtains of suburbia”

CUL-DE-SAC

Omnibus Theatre

Reviewed on 29th May 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Kat Forsyth

Previously reviewed at this venue:

CUL-DE-SAC

CUL-DE-SAC

CUL-DE-SAC

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