Theatergroep Hotel Modern

Dutch theatre company Hotel Modern blends visual art, object theatre, music, film, modelling and performance in its evocative productions. In their international theatre hit ‘The Great War’ the trenches of the First World War are represented. On stage a miniature film set is build, using parsley, soil and rusty nails. With small cameras the actors dive into the trenches and tell a story through the eyes of the fighting soldiers. The images are being projected on a big screen and are guided by a live soundtrack. The result is amazingly intense and realistic. The performance ‘Kamp’ is a theatrical portrait of Auschwitz, in which a stage filling scale model of an extermination camp is brought to life. The group also produces more absurd and lighter work. ‘Shrimp Tales’ for example is a funny play about humanity, performed by 350 real dried shrimps. Hotel Modern was founded in 1997 in Rotterdam. Its members are Arlène Hoornweg and Pauline Kalker, who both graduated from Arnhem Theatre Academy, and visual artist, model maker and performer Herman Helle. The company won numerous prizes, including the European Prix de Coppet and the prestigious Dutch VSCD Mime prize. Hotel Modern performs all over the world, from Paris to Milan and from New York to Tokyo.