Step aboard the theatrical voyage of a lifetime with Sedos’ production of “Titanic: the Musical” at Bridewell Theatre – a musical experience that skips Celine Dion hits (as the musical is not related to the movie and the song in any way), but still leaves you emotionally stirred and glued to your seat. The original production on Broadway instantly scored 5 Tony Award nominations, and Sedos’ 2023 show scores and melts the audience’s hearts just as quickly.
From the first note to the final curtain call, this touching show takes you on a heart-wrenching journey as you clench your fists, engrossed in the tragic fate of those aboard the ill-fated ship. Even though the story of Titanic and its ending is not a surprise to anyone, the way individual characters are portrayed, with so much energy and individual goals and dreams – made me hope for a somehow impossible – happy ending.
A Unique Voyage: Beyond the Classic Titanic Romance
This is not the classic romantic story from James Cameron’s movie – here, the focus is on the community onboard the famous unsinkable “floating city”. The show’s script – based on the book by Peter Stone and with music by Maury Yeston, would appeal to anyone who enjoyes a play like “Come From Away” – fully focused on multiple characters from the local, extremely diverse community. Within the story, we join the fancy champagne-filled dinners of the passengers in the First Class, but also the drama on the ship’s bridge that involves the Captain and Officers, as well as the hopeful evenings brimming with the promise of new life in America among the Third-Class passengers.
Captivating Characters: A Stellar Cast Performance
With a sprawling cast of over 30, crafting individual characters that strongly resonate is no easy feat. Yet, the talented ensemble manages the extraordinary, making you care deeply about characters, regardless of their social class and time spent on stage. The cast’s singing skills are absolutely astounding, mastering intricate harmonies and lightning-fast lyrics that elevate the musical score to remarkable heights..
The stage set is beautifully designed by Andrew Laidlaw. Detachable parts, like two sets of stairs, make it look grand, but at the same time, decrease the size of the stage considerably, making it even more complex for the cast to fit everyone during the group scenes.
Bridewell Theatre is an old swimming pool – and I had a quiet hope this factor would be included in the show somehow. At the end, the design didn’t include any underfloor water tank as a wow factor, but that was the only disappointment I had with the show (ok, I’m kidding here, but it a fun thought I had before the show started).
Nautical Ingenuity onboard Titanic: Setting Sail with a Clever Stage Set
The virtual tour of the ship’s plan kicked-off the show with an immersive start. The projection of Titanic’s blueprint was a nice touch, but luckily, the rest of the show was very much projection-less. In some musicals, the overuse of projections takes a lot of spotlight away from the performers – here, luckily, the focus was on actors and “non-digital” stage sets.
The stage set included a large metal creation of Titanic’s bow, which I thought would be hard to hide backstage later, due to its size. But, the creative team surprised me by this huge element being easily dismantled apart into smaller bits by the cast, in seconds – fantastic!
Plus, the lighting (by Olly Levett) is a huge added factor of the show – little crafty solutions like attaching lights to the side of the stairs reveal the full grandeur of songs, even in less dynamic moments. The choreography (Philip Michael Thomas), despite occasional tight squeezes, is done perfectly, showing that talent and creativity can overcome limited space.
Costume Brilliance: A Spotlight on Design Mastery
In this production of “Titanic”, costumes and hair design steal the show – I have to especially praise the fantastic work by Callum Anderson. The careful design of many outfits and hairstyles isn’t just about letting actors move freely but also helps the audience to tell the characters apart and understand their social status. Recently I had the chance to see some shows featuring wigs and frankly, they all looked incredibly fake – but in “Titanic”, the hair and make-up are executed to perfection, and wigs look truly realistic.
Quick changes from third-class passengers to champagne-sipping elites became a visual spectacle, and I kept on thinking how crazy it must be backstage, with such a huge cast constantly changing costumes – yet the whole show was executed with operational perfection. Minus one tiny microphone malfunction, which didn’t eventually change the show’s flow in any way.
Standing Ovation-Worthy: Showcasing Insane Talent Amidst the Waves
The talent on display is nothing short of insane, and picking some especially outstanding performances was incredibly tough – but since I don’t want this post to be as long as “Titanic’s” script, I had to highlight only a couple of them. But let me just add, that the whole cast deserves a well-earned standing ovation. My standout performances included Tess Robinson as the gossiping, socially ambitious Alice Beane (also, a kind of comedy relief of the show) and Andrew Caruso as the impeccable John Astor. James Daly, playing the role of Harold Bride, and Toby Chapman as Frederick Barrett created a memorable duet in “The Proposal/The Night Was Alive” – their voices just worked so well together!
Daniel Saunders, who previously graced Sedos’ production of 5-star production of “The Effect” earlier this year, delivered a spot-on portrayal as the Captain torn between pressure from the company and their focus on the safety of the passengers. The heartwarming duet of a senior married couple, portrayed by Annie Houseago and Tony Rosenberg, added a touching note to the production, capturing the essence of love enduring till the end.
“Titanic: The Musical” is well-deservedly almost sold out for this run, but if you manage to book one of the tickets still left, there’s a possibility this may just become your new favourite musical. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!
Titanic: The Musical
23 November – 2 December 2023
Bridewell Theatre – click here for tickets
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTORS | Rob Archibald (he/him) and Louise Roberts (she/her)
MUSICAL DIRECTOR | Ryan Macaulay (he/him)
CHOREOGRAPHER | Philip Michael Thomas (he/him)
PRODUCER | Adam Coppard (he/him)
STAGE MANAGER | Rebecca Lillie (she/her)
SET DESIGN | Andrew Laidlaw (he/him)
COSTUME DESIGN | Callum Anderson (he/him)
LIGHTING DESIGN | Olly Levett (he/him)
SOUND DESIGN | Adam Coppard (he/him)
PROPS | Pippa Kyle (she/her)
MARKETING | Tess Robinson (she/her) and Pippa Kyle (she/her)
GRAPHIC DESIGN | Tess Robinson (she/her)
PHOTOGRAPHER | Elizabeth Grace (she/her)
COMMITTEE LIAISONS | Ruth Granton (she/her) and Jacob Hajjar (he/they)
*I received the ticket in exchange for an honest review
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