TITANIC THE MUSICAL

         "Well, this isn't much like the film at all?" -  was the reaction of the woman sat behind me last week at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. I agree with her, and all the better for it. The musical telling of Titanic explores one of the greatest tragedies of all time with a lot more historical accuracy than James Cameron does in his wildly successful 1997 film.
          The sinking of the Titanic is a story known the world over and Stone covers the timeline of events in whole with great care featuring narratives from real life witnesses such as the Director of the White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay. The core outline is bulked with individual stories concerning members of all three classes and the staff aboard the ship. Particular highlights included the partnership of Ismay and Captain Smith, the comic relief from Alice Beane and the heartbreaking tale of Isidor and Ida Strauss.
          Stand out performances included Philip Rham as Captain Edward Smith and Clare Machin as Alice Beane. An excellent vocal performance was given by Niall Sheehy as Frederick Barrett - his duet Oliver Marshall 'The Proposal/The Night Was Alive' was really lovely. However for me it was Simon Green as J. Bruce Ismay who was the star of this show. Green is no stranger to the role, and you can tell as he executes the performance with such a fine flair. He was excellent throughout, but even more so at the end where Ismay has to live with his decision to flee - this was performed with such presence and high emotion.
          All the hats are off for the immense set design by David Woodhead. The set is stark and harsh but is complimented wonderfully by the subtle lighting throughout the production. The capsizing of the ship was most certainly the pinnacle of the show - if not one of the most impressive set pieces I have ever seen in a theatre.
          The show, much like it's fateful journey has a steady first half, but the main impact is saved for the second act. One heartbreaking section in particular that includes 'The Blame', 'To The Lifeboats' and 'We'll Meet Tomorrow' was overwhelmingly powerful, and I was left thinking about the fast-paced, highly-emotive scenes for days afterwards. Just in time for the finale a large banner is released from the ceiling honouring the names of the 1503 people who died in the tragedy. It's a firm reminder that this story is no work of fiction, and a fitting end to an epic production.

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