The towering sheets of the steel frame of Titanic covered the backdrop of the New Victoria Theatre and coated the proscenium. The atmospheric lighting (designed by Howard Hudson) highlighting Mr Thomas Andrews, Titanic’s leading architect as he scrawled his designs in silence while the audience took their seats. As the music started, we were instantly transported to April 11th 1912; the day passengers embarked for Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage. Cast flooded the stage and the aisles, bringing bustling energy through the auditorium.
Good luck finding a single person who knows nothing about the Titanic and her demise. The tragedy of 1912 remains prevalent in hearts all around the world thanks to the sensational James Cameron 1999 film but this musical takes an entirely different approach. This is not the story of two lovers from different classes thrust together and torn apart in a few short days, but an epic ensemble piece with a dozen tales all woven together with beautiful delicacy. I would stress over and over again how this musical is whole-heartedly an ensemble piece; a welcomed change from the conventional casting structure we see all too often.
This is a show of two distinct halves: one of optimism and excitement, and one of death and destruction. The entire ensemble give this show everything they’ve got, but Ian McLarnon as Mr Andrews was utterly sensational. McLarnon was haunting with his Javert-esque soliloquy “Mr Andrews’ Vision”. Martin Allanson as J. Bruce Ismay has the perfect chemistry with McLarnon for scenes of intense tension and argument and while it wouldn’t be correct to suggest Titanic has a villain, Ismay is certainly a catalyst for problems and Allanson leans on this beautifully. Adam Filipe as Frederick Barrett was also exceptional; a true tenor in his prime.I will commend the enormous wall of sound this ensemble created. It is reminiscent of traditional legit musicals and operettas; clean, powerful and anthemic, however I have commented previously of New Victoria Theatre’s difficulties with sound balancing and this production fell victim to it. For many years it has been a frustration of mine that shows have been too quiet, but Titanic flipped the switch and we reached fighter jet levels of loud throughout this show; so much so, I saw the lady in the seat in front of me cover her ears during the opening number as it was just so noisy. I did the same for the finale.
Despite stellar performances across the board, this production was lacking and didn’t satiate. It’s hard to pinpoint why but all in all, there was just a spark missing. Moments felt amateurish and cheapened the production. The set and costume designs from David Woodhead were intelligent and very reminiscent of Hamilton with moving staircases and ropes but it cannot hold a candle to a production of that magnitude, despite its best efforts. While there were moments of Titanic The Musical which I did enjoy, overall it was disappointing. There is an ‘In Memoriam’ section woven into the production which should be a sobering moment but felt so on-the-nose, it left no room for imagination and felt like a presentation.This show is clearly not designed to be full of toe-tapping numbers but the music was forgettable and despite the obvious major plot points we all know from history, the story was lacking and the execution felt cheap. A sinking disappointment.
Review by Harriet Langdown
Rating: ★★
Seat: J34 | Price of Ticket: £32.50 (With tickets from £13 and VIP Packages from £34.50)
