New Victoria, Woking – until Saturday 15 July 2023
5*****
I’ve seen Titanic once or twice on this tour. And every performance has been different. I’ve seen outstanding understudies and alternates. I’ve seen the cast grow into the roles and add in little movements and nuances that really add to the show and I think last night in Woking I saw the very best version I have ever seen.
Maury Yeston’s magnificent score sets the scene almost immediately. We are taken on board as the ship embarks on its journey from the ports of Southampton, meeting characters from first, second and third class, and the crew. The first act introduces us to the inner workings of the ship and the minds of the passengers and we watch as relationships and tensions play out and dreams are wished upon.
There’s the upper-class, including the wonderfully charming Mr and Mrs Straus; the middle class – Alice Beane, who is insistent on schmoozing with the elite, and her long-suffering husband Edgar; and third class, where the three Kates from Ireland are driven to start a new life in the new world and escape the hardship of home.
The cast’s voices harmonised beautifully and were incredibly haunting and moving, bringing me to tears a number of times. A range of soft, heartfelt ballads and dramatically powerful numbers cut through the silence in the theatre like ice, vocalising the emotions that became the foundations of the show; fear, loss, sadness, love, and hope.
The performance itself was flawless throughout; flowing as smoothly as the calm sea that surrounded the Titanic before disaster struck. This was helped by the stunning staging, which was simple yet incredibly effective, especially when it came to the climax.
The historical accuracy was superb and attention to detail was clear, proving that the focus of this show is really to commemorate and educate; from the exact number of fruit and veg needed to feed the passengers, to the names used and the cumulative problems that led to such a huge loss of life.
Conveying such emotion only seems right through the medium of song. In fact, knowing what was inevitably coming meant that, from the very opening numbers, I was fighting back tears. It is eerie, and unusual, to watch famously doomed characters live out their lives on stage.
I found this performance moving and exciting to watch – the standing ovation at the end was enough to prove that this particular Titanic was on course for success at an impressive rate of knots. It is a very special tribute to those who loved and lost that fateful night, allowing the names of many to live on in song and giving them a new lease of life.