Titanic - The Musical

It doesn't seem possible that after all these years, the sinking of the Titanic still makes headlines - only a few weeks ago, some items from the ship's fateful maiden voyage came up for auction - and they sold for so much money!  But there you have it - this majestic ship, so cruelly sunk, still lives in our imagination.

This talented group took the decision last year to present the musical of the story - and are we glad they did!  This show, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and the story and book by Peter Stone, was first presented on Broadway in 1997 - it was a surprise hit, overcoming a sceptical public who really did not think a disaster such as this would be a viable commodity - but the doubters were proved wrong and the rest is truly, history. It won Tony awards for both music and lyrics plus Best Musical of that year.

I cannot find enough superlatives for this production - the Artistic Director, Anita Adams, gave us a top-notch interpretation of this sad story - the staging had verve from the opening sequence to the ending we all knew was coming. This was an ensemble piece, every cast member was a character, this made the production meaningful - the audience was drawn into the story on such a personal level. The Musical Director, Adam Boniface, had worked really hard on a quite complicated score - the music was right up my street - rousing choral pieces and soft ballads. An excellent orchestra of strings and percussion gave us the feeling of the waves contrasting with the genteel surroundings of the opulence of the ship - and a great deal of keyboard (an excellent Alex Faulkner!). The enthusiasm and singing of the whole ensemble were truly magnificent,

I know that a lot of research by Anita had gone into this production - after all, these were real people who were so excited to be going on the largest ship in the world to New York - only 450 survived the disaster - 1,500 lost their lives, due to the shortage of lifeboats. It is a sobering thought.....

The musical opens with excited passengers boarding the ship in Southampton - we were introduced to first-class, second class and third class passengers eagerly boarding the floating palace - the soaring vocals evoking the ship getting underway - we quickly feel the fractious relationsip between the Captain and the White Star chairman, J Bruce Ismay, who wants to get to New York in the quickest possible time - had they not increased speed, would they have avoided the iceberg?  There were tensions that developed on the bridge, while the passengers continued to enjoy the luxury of their surroundings - it was a compelling piece of drama. Love stories and friendships were beautifully conveyed with such feeling. There was also an underlying political nature to the show - you feel the inherent class structure of the first class saloon, compared to the crowded noise of 'steerage' - this was highlighted as the ship began to sink and the lower decks doors were locked, preventing third class passengers reaching the lifeboats - they were doomed.

The simple but effective set featured a two-tiered bridge, stairs which were moved around, all reminiscent of liners even today - although the playing space was relatively small, it never felt cluttered as the ensemble wove in and out for many scenes - the narrative was clearly defined as the story unfolded.

Every cast member, too many to name, gave the production their all - I was breathless as to the sheer vitality of their performances and beautiful vocal talents - I admired every one of you.

I would like to mention the creative team behind stage - all giving their time and talents, supporting the cast on stage - a brilliant job. The video wall at the back of the stage gave the audience a time-line as the events unfolded - and a list of all the souls at the end - very moving. I particularly liked the use of oars to represent the lifeboats - a clever innovation - there were so many moving touches that Anita had added - I wondered how she would recreate the actual sinking - well, some of the cast clung to the set and it really seemed the ship was dropping into the ocean - absoutely stunning effect.

I was truly moved by this production - the memory will stay with me for a long time - I first saw the show in London at the begining of the professional run and I say in all sincerity, this was on a par with that show in all aspects.

My hearty congratulations to you all - a brilliant show!

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