Áine plays all the characters in this comedy, revealing how three random lost items - and random hotel guests - are connected to each other across continents and decades.
Canadian Archie is looking for his ancestry but keeps losing a biscuit tin holding his grandfather's ashes. Lynda from Sydney is looking for romance and fantasy, cosplaying with her uncle's Celtic brooch. Davy from London is looking for a story, trying to write a novel on his granny's old vintage typewriter. Only the audience know that these people and objects are all connected. Is fate about to reunite them all?
Much of the play is based on the true-life experiences of Áine's grandmother and great-aunt who were orphans from Bethnal Green, separated and shipped abroad as British Home Children. Áine's dad, who helped her research the play, sadly died while she was in plaster and unable to visit him. "It's been a really tough time" she says, "I'm heartbroken Dad didn't get to see the finished play, but I'm determined to perform it as a tribute to him. A lot of my work aims to tell stories like this about extraordinary ordinary people, their resilience and courage...here's hoping some of it rubs off on me."
Áine, who lives in Orkney, won the David MacLennan Award 2022 with her first play, Burning Bright. She's now keeping her fingers crossed for the winter storms to die down so she can get to London in time for curtain-up.
Written and performed by Áine King
Original soundscape design by Fionn Hodgson
Canadian Archie is looking for his ancestry but keeps losing a biscuit tin holding his grandfather's ashes. Lynda from Sydney is looking for romance and fantasy, cosplaying with her uncle's Celtic brooch. Davy from London is looking for a story, trying to write a novel on his granny's old vintage typewriter. Only the audience know that these people and objects are all connected. Is fate about to reunite them all?
Much of the play is based on the true-life experiences of Áine's grandmother and great-aunt who were orphans from Bethnal Green, separated and shipped abroad as British Home Children. Áine's dad, who helped her research the play, sadly died while she was in plaster and unable to visit him. "It's been a really tough time" she says, "I'm heartbroken Dad didn't get to see the finished play, but I'm determined to perform it as a tribute to him. A lot of my work aims to tell stories like this about extraordinary ordinary people, their resilience and courage...here's hoping some of it rubs off on me."
Áine, who lives in Orkney, won the David MacLennan Award 2022 with her first play, Burning Bright. She's now keeping her fingers crossed for the winter storms to die down so she can get to London in time for curtain-up.
Written and performed by Áine King
Original soundscape design by Fionn Hodgson
Photography by Gerry Hodgson and Zara Chung
Performance History:
Performance History:
- 2023 the performance was commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Edinburgh and performed as 'HOTEL CALEDONIA' with live music by Eric Linklater.
- 2024 director, Jack MacGregor developed a workshop performance 'LOST PROPERTY HOTEL' as part of SPARK Festival, Inverness.
- 2025 Áine brought 'LOST PROPERTY HOTEL' to London's Union Theatre in a sell-out show for the Nu Pen Festival with specially commissioned soundscape by Fionn Hodgson.
- 2025 Áine performed live with Fionn Hodgson's soundscape and live music by Karen Tweed and Antony Hodgson in a sell-out show at Stromness Town Hall, Orkney.
