Hermione in 'Hotel'

HERMIONE GULLIFORD has been playing the scorned wife, Vivienne, in Polly Stenham’s latest play, ‘Hotel’, at the National. Despite its idyllic setting of a Kenyan island get-away, this play is a far cry from tranquil beaches and clear blue skies. Instead, this is a sinister and thought provoking performance which excitingly breaks away from the distinct mould of a typical Polly Stenham play. Lulling its audience into the familiar territory of a Stenham-style play, with its dysfunctional upper class family and its sense of mounting tension boiling behind closed doors, as Hermione tells us, ‘the rug is quickly pulled out from under you’, the play escalating into something far more dramatic and far more violent.

This radical piece of new writing has created a very exciting environment for Hermione to work in and she has loved being a part of Polly Stenham’s vision and drive to push theatrical boundaries. The result of this is an extremely thrilling performance; one which pushes its audience and will certainly keep you gripping the edge of your seat. The performance has had a range of excellent reviews, even being deemed by the renowned publication, The Stage, as potentially ‘the most powerful new play of the year’.

Having set the preliminary scene of this heart racing performance, you simply have to see its climatic end, and uncover the fate of our lovely Hermione, so head straight to the National Theatre website and get yourself tickets!