_the halfway house

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> the halfway house / behind the scenes

The Halfway House was a site-specific, immersive theatre piece that was devised and staged in the Old Central Saint Martins campus on Southampton Row, Holborn. The live show took place from 21st September to 4th October 2020.

The narrative revolved around three storylines, each unfolding in ‘The Halfway House’ - a fictional hotel. The building and its residents are stuck between two worlds, paralysed by nostalgia and slipping into real and fabricated versions of their past, but equally seduced by and drawn into this absurdly ill-fitting new reality of a ‘luxury’ hotel, which is in the process of being constructed but already feels extremely makeshift, seedy and tired.

There were three main protagonists and storylines: The Porter, an immaculately-presented professional who works in the hotel but is haunted by his dark past; The Maids – one experiencing her first day at the hotel and the other running a voyeuristic side-business, charging visitors to secretly observe guests in their rooms; and The Resident, who is trapped in a hazy, melancholic and opium-fuelled love story where boundaries between reality and fantasy have become indistinguishable.

There will be a film released this year, which will open it up to a much bigger audience and also allow those who did attend to see the show from the perspective of the other characters.

Cast & Creators
Francesca Costa
Anna Fil
Mélanie Gautier
Emily George
Michael Hall
Valia Katsis
Tom Kim
Olga Lagun
Cameron Lee-Allen
Georgia Leefe
Charly Monreal
Sally Plowman
Daniel Seifu
Michael Sookhan
Jean-Charles Wadja

Team

Artistic Director- Rocio Ayllon
Assistant Director- Michael Hall
Choreographer - Elina Akhmetova
Sound Designer - Finn Boxer
Photographer - Karolina Burlikowska
Lighting Designer - Satu Streatfield