It used to be a magnificent opera house, its stage graced by the leading sopranos and tenors of the age. Now the only divas at the Grand Old Opera House Hotel are the ones checking-in, there are fist fights in the lobby, and there's scarcely a romantic hero to be found.

When shy Aaron joins the hotel's inharmonious team, he's faced with emotionally volatile guests, apathetic staff and management that doesn't have a clue. Not to mention the rumour of singing ghosts haunting the corridors.

But through all the madness, one voice stands out, capturing his ears and his heart - and Aaron must go into battle with the hotel's magical chaos to find out the truth.

An uplifting ensemble comedy, Isobel McArthur's The Grand Old Opera House Hotel is a story of art bringing us together in hopeless circumstances, to the tune of some of the most popular opera songs ever written. It premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the Festival in August 2023, with Dundee Rep Theatre, directed by Gareth Nicholls. It was the recipient of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award.

About the Author

Isobel McArthur is an actor, writer and musician based in Glasgow. Her other plays include the hit Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), which toured the UK, including a run in the West End. It won Best Entertainment or Comedy Play at the 2022 Olivier Awards, with its author winning the Emerging Talent Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

Reviews

'A gloriously funny one-off... a remarkably inventive, uproariously witty comedy that springs one audacious surprise after another'

* The Times *

'Brilliant... nothing less than a pure and heartfelt boy-meets-girl romantic comedy, inspired by the rapturous power of great music... the sharpest kind of social criticism and wisecracking satire... a wild and sometimes beautiful farce... an absolute joy'

* Scotsman *

'Glorious... a gag-filled, head-spinning operatic comedy... an idiosyncratic romp as formally adventurous as it is extravagantly funny'

* Guardian *
'Exceptional... wildly original... richly comic and clever... an uproarious show with a vein of melancholy... I really loved it' * WhatsOnStage *

'Completely unpredictable and wonderfully farcical'

* Broadway World *

'An ambitious and buoyant love story... a genuine delight'

* Fest Mag *

'Joyously theatrical, utterly surreal... There are few people in theatre today who are kookier - or more touched by genius - than Isobel McArthur, the hottest thing in Scottish theatre, and possibly the UK'

* Daily Mail *

'Bravo... a barn-storming production... There are twists and turns, serial misunderstandings, comic interludes (one scene has the woman in front of me howling with laughter) and pauses for McArthur to take potshots at everything from management speak to the prevalence of social media... one of the hits of the Fringe'

* The Herald *

'Clever and hysterically funny, with McArthur's signature anarchy and inventiveness'

* Reviews Hub *

'The funniest show I've seen for years... a hit, a palpable hit!'

* Edinburgh Music Review *


Awards
Winner of Edinburgh Fringe First Award 2023.



Book Information
ISBN 9781839042720
Author Isobel McArthur
Format Paperback
Page Count 112
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Weight(grams) 131g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 8mm