It's hard to imagine the tiny space of the Charing Cross Theatre being morphed into a colossal ship that was Titanic, but Thom Southerland successfully manages to utilise the small environment he has to work with in such a magnificent and unbelievable way. This is a beautiful revival of this great musical about the doomed Titanic. On her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, the RMS Titanic, on the night of 14 April 1912, collided with an iceberg and the 'unsinkable ship', disappeared under the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. It was one of the most notorious maritime disasters of the 20th century; 1,517 men, women and children lost their lives. The historical event has had many different adaptations, but this musical is by far one of the best. Based on the stories of real people who were aboard the Titanic, Maury Yeston and Peter Stone’s musical focuses on their experiences by delving into their hopes, aspirations and personal relationships. For each passenger and crew member, being on the RMS TItanic had a different meaning. The ‘Third Class’ immigrants dream of a better life in America, the newly-enfranchised ‘Second Class’ dream of achieving the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and the millionaire Barons of the ‘First Class’ dream of their hegemony lasting forever. Titanic is not, by any means, an obscure tale. Audiences that fill the theatre seats are almost certain to be aware of the outcome, so the narrative holds no surprises for theatre-goers. We all know that the hopes and dreams of these unsuspecting people will be dashed throughout the course of the show. However, Yeston and Stone's music and book is not about the event itself, but it instead puts a strong emphasis on how the people involved were directly affected by the disaster. Furthermore, there is a focus on the brutal class system, mankind's obsession with progress, the ridiculous 'ladies first' rule that denied many men on board the right for the chance to live, and the arrogance of the White Star Line director, Joseph Bruce Ismay (David Bardsley). The stellar creative team includes: director Thom Southerland, Cressida Carré (musical staging), musical director Mark Aspinall, set and costume designer David Woodhead, lighting designer Howard Hudson and sound designer Andrew Johnson. The cast are flawless, with fantastic performances from every single one of them. All contribute enormously to the tremendous success of the this production. The production itself is incredibly stripped back leaving audiences to 'suspend their imagination', to great effect. Maury Yeston’s beautifully crafted music and lyrics, whilst not being anything remotely catchy that you come out of the theatre humming, drives the narrative hastily forward. The beautiful melodic score is a genius work of art. Focusing the story of Titanic on the real people instead of the events really makes the audience look at the tragedy through a new pair of eyes. It's a refreshing take on story that has been retold many times in different formats. That is the power of this production, it makes an old story seem fresh, thrilling and new. __________________________________________________________ Rating: ★★★★★ Venue: Charing Cross Theatre Comment: In my opinion, Titanic is currently one of the best shows running in London. Any lover of musical theatre would be completely mad not to try and get a ticket for this stunning show. I cannot recommend it enough. | |
Have you seen Titanic? Do you agree or disagree with any of the points I have made? If so, I'd love to here from you so send me a message and let me know which production you saw!
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*WARNING* There may be spoilers for the following shows so don't read if you don't want to know! 10) For Good - Wicked [2003]
9) Not My Father's Son - Kinky Boots [2013]
8) The I Love You Song - 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee [2005]
7) Dyin' Ain't So Bad - Bonnie and Clyde [2011]
6) The Letter - Billy Elliot [2005]
5) Pretty Funny - Dogfight [2013]
4) I Am the One (reprise) - Next To Normal [2009]
3) Once Upon a Time / Cross - Bare the musical [2000]
2) Those You've Known - Spring Awakening [2006]
1) I Hate You - If/Then [2014]
Do you have any more songs to add to the list? Do you agree or disagree with the songs I have chosen? If so, I'd love to here from you so send me a message!
Rating: ★★★★★
Comment: As the show that made me fall in love with musical theatre, I cannot, not love this wonderful show Have you seen Les Miserables? Do you agree or disagree with any of the points I have made? Do you cry every time too? If so, I'd love to here from you so send me a message and let me know which production you saw!
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Hello there, friend!Welcome to my blog. I tend ramble on a bit about theatre, books and Disney. Archives
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