Titanic The Musical Festival Theatre Edinburgh 20th June 2023 Review
Titanic the Musical is at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh this week (Tue 20 to Sat 24 June) and for once I can write a review without any fear of giving the ending of the story away.
If you think you know this story however, don’t let that put you off going to see this show as skilful writing (book by Peter Stone) finds interesting ways to bring into focus the lives of some of the first, second and third class passengers on-board RMS Titanic on what was to be that ill-fated maiden voyage that somehow has captured the imaginations of so many of us for over 100 years now, sinking on April 15, 1912.
Probably the first thing to make clear though is that, despite this musical having its debut in 1997, the same year as the hugely successful Titanic film by James Cameron starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the two are completely unconnected with one another, so don’t go along to this one expecting a sing along to your favourite film songs. This one has a very good musical score/ songs by Maury Yeston that complement the writing perfectly, and although some of the characters are only given the bare bones of who they are, others are in far more depth. At times this show is a little bit like an episode of Upstairs Downstairs on the ocean waves, but it is really the only way that it is possible to move freely between the exclusive first class upper decks, the second class passenger areas and the cramped lower deck third class passengers. Connecting everyone together in this story are some of the staff who travel between decks.
Titanic the Musical does take a little bit of time to get going as the production has to establish very early the sheer magnitude of this ship and that is done by simple facts and figures – over 1,000 feet long, comprising 11 decks and at the time the largest moving object in the world. Next we have to establish, as they board the ship, who the main characters are, both passengers and crew. This does take time though and in a way it does mirror the more gentle pace that Titanic sailed away at before pressure by the owner was put upon the Captain and his crew to try to reach New York in only 6 days, and in doing so pushing this new ship to its engineering limits.
Like all good stories, Titanic is in fact many smaller ones playing out at the same time and everyone including director of the White Star Line J Bruce Ismay (Martin Allanson), Ship Designer Thomas Andrews (Ian McLarnon), Captain Edward Smith (Graham Bickley), stoker Frederick Barrett (Adam Filipe) has their own reasons for being on board and their own story to tell.
Some of the most interesting reasons though come from the passengers, and the hopes and dreams of many of those in third class who are leaving their homes and everyone that they know in search of a new life and new opportunities in America resonates clearly today with many of the reasons that so many people today are doing just the same to start afresh in a new country. One passenger, Kate McGowan (Lucie Mae-Sumner) has perhaps more reasons than some of the others to be leaving home.
Titanic is full of little stories that bring to life the hopes and dreams of many of the passengers, but one in particular always touches me every time I see this production and that is the true story of the very wealthy 67 year old Isidor Straus (David Delve),co-owner of Macy’s department store, and his wife Ida (Valda Aviks) who chose to remain on board so that other younger people could have the chance to live. Their duet “Still” is one of the defining moments in this story.
Titanic the Musical is a story of great human tragedy, but this production does it all in a way that is respectful to the memories of those real life people who died on that voyage, it never feels exploitive and somehow it still manages to get in some classic song and dance numbers. Much of this success is of course down to the talents of everyone involved, but here a special mention does need to go to set and costume designer David Woodhead for creating a believable world for all of these stories to play out in.
For such a well-known event, there are still so many questions about Titanic that to this day remain unanswered. This production answers a few of them, but how the shipping line was never charged with manslaughter over the deaths of those in third class is still a mystery to me.
If I can find one fault with this show it is that some way is needed to make the list of those who perished that night far more prominent.
Review by Tom King © 2023
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
If you think you know this story however, don’t let that put you off going to see this show as skilful writing (book by Peter Stone) finds interesting ways to bring into focus the lives of some of the first, second and third class passengers on-board RMS Titanic on what was to be that ill-fated maiden voyage that somehow has captured the imaginations of so many of us for over 100 years now, sinking on April 15, 1912.
Probably the first thing to make clear though is that, despite this musical having its debut in 1997, the same year as the hugely successful Titanic film by James Cameron starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the two are completely unconnected with one another, so don’t go along to this one expecting a sing along to your favourite film songs. This one has a very good musical score/ songs by Maury Yeston that complement the writing perfectly, and although some of the characters are only given the bare bones of who they are, others are in far more depth. At times this show is a little bit like an episode of Upstairs Downstairs on the ocean waves, but it is really the only way that it is possible to move freely between the exclusive first class upper decks, the second class passenger areas and the cramped lower deck third class passengers. Connecting everyone together in this story are some of the staff who travel between decks.
Titanic the Musical does take a little bit of time to get going as the production has to establish very early the sheer magnitude of this ship and that is done by simple facts and figures – over 1,000 feet long, comprising 11 decks and at the time the largest moving object in the world. Next we have to establish, as they board the ship, who the main characters are, both passengers and crew. This does take time though and in a way it does mirror the more gentle pace that Titanic sailed away at before pressure by the owner was put upon the Captain and his crew to try to reach New York in only 6 days, and in doing so pushing this new ship to its engineering limits.
Like all good stories, Titanic is in fact many smaller ones playing out at the same time and everyone including director of the White Star Line J Bruce Ismay (Martin Allanson), Ship Designer Thomas Andrews (Ian McLarnon), Captain Edward Smith (Graham Bickley), stoker Frederick Barrett (Adam Filipe) has their own reasons for being on board and their own story to tell.
Some of the most interesting reasons though come from the passengers, and the hopes and dreams of many of those in third class who are leaving their homes and everyone that they know in search of a new life and new opportunities in America resonates clearly today with many of the reasons that so many people today are doing just the same to start afresh in a new country. One passenger, Kate McGowan (Lucie Mae-Sumner) has perhaps more reasons than some of the others to be leaving home.
Titanic is full of little stories that bring to life the hopes and dreams of many of the passengers, but one in particular always touches me every time I see this production and that is the true story of the very wealthy 67 year old Isidor Straus (David Delve),co-owner of Macy’s department store, and his wife Ida (Valda Aviks) who chose to remain on board so that other younger people could have the chance to live. Their duet “Still” is one of the defining moments in this story.
Titanic the Musical is a story of great human tragedy, but this production does it all in a way that is respectful to the memories of those real life people who died on that voyage, it never feels exploitive and somehow it still manages to get in some classic song and dance numbers. Much of this success is of course down to the talents of everyone involved, but here a special mention does need to go to set and costume designer David Woodhead for creating a believable world for all of these stories to play out in.
For such a well-known event, there are still so many questions about Titanic that to this day remain unanswered. This production answers a few of them, but how the shipping line was never charged with manslaughter over the deaths of those in third class is still a mystery to me.
If I can find one fault with this show it is that some way is needed to make the list of those who perished that night far more prominent.
Review by Tom King © 2023
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com