Titanic The Musical At The Mayflower Theatre, Review

Reviewed by Mel S-W

Wow! Such a dramatic and emotional show! We all know of the dramatic events that occurred on 15th April 1912, when the Titanic hit an iceberg and sunk so very quickly killing more than 1500 people. To see the story unfold right in front of us on stage was simply stunning. I was truly lost for words when it ended. I’ve seen documentaries, watched the box office film and enjoyed the story of fictional passengers, but the musical isn’t about Jack and Rose, it tells the story of some of the real people on board, their experiences and the tragedies that unfolded. We didn’t know what to expect from the show but wow it didn’t disappoint!

We arrived at the Mayflower in the pouring rain and were welcomed in very quickly by the prompt and efficient staff who laughed and joked with us about how we weren’t expecting to get drenched coming to see Titanic The Musical. The theatre itself is very opulent inside, but with all the bodies in there it was quite warm tonight. We were situated in the stalls (seats J4 & J5) where it was very nice to have comfortable seats and good leg room. The seats are just on the incline and were to the right of the stage but the view was still great and didn’t miss anything. These aren’t seats we would normally choose however, a lot of action takes place quite near you.

The production uses the aisles of the theatre throughout the show. Hearing a commotion behind us we thought some people had arrived late for the show but low and behold it was the cast arriving and heading to the stage. We got to see props and the costumes up close and got to hear the amazing singing voices of the cast as they went by.

There were over 100 costumes used during the show with special details in each of them. We were first introduced to the 3rd Class Irish passengers especially the 3 Kate’s with their plain costumes in muted colours with little detail. 2nd Class – introducing Lady Caroline and Alice – now they were a bit more stylish with more detail and more stylish fabrics. The 1st Class cast had simply stunning costumes with embellishments, satins, furs. I was lucky enough to see some of costumes up close before the show started and the level of craftsmanship was extraordinary.

The cast were playing at least two characters on stage with quick costume changes required. The ease that they slipped between the American 1st class to the Irish 3rd class passengers was amazing, changing their whole demeanour within an instant.

The set was amazing, we arrived to find the curtain up, the ghostly innards of the ship on show with a lonely desk in the middle of the stage. Mr Andrews arriving on the stage before the start of the show caused a lot of murmurings from the audience and had us glued to the stage through fear that we would miss something. Throughout the show, careful staging transports us through all the different layers of the ship, from the 1st Class saloon to the steely depths of engine rooms. The actors aided this magical transportation.

Together with the staging and the cast the vocals were just out of this world. The male voices were strong and powerful with the female cast were outstanding. All had energy, soul and told their story beautifully. Bree Smith playing Alice Beane – the 2nd Class passenger with visions of socialising with the 1st Class passengers played the role with such life, and enthusiasm. She was a delight to watch and looked like she was in her element. Joseph Peacock brought a childlike charm to the role of the Bellboy, with an amazing voice. A standing ovation at the end of the show showed the audiences appreciation and awe at what we had just witnessed.

The show length was 2 hours 40 minutes which although seems long, is the exact time that it took for the Titanic to sink. This really made me think about what the passengers went through during this time. Whilst the show is at the Mayflower it is the 111 year anniversary of the Titanic setting sail from Southampton Docks on it’s ill-fated journey across the seas. Hearing this amazing but harrowing story told around the anniversary is very poignant. Before the final curtain, a list of the passengers who had lost their lives came into view and was difficult not to shed a tear (or several) so touching.

The original Broadway production of Titanic The Musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book and you can clearly see how and why. The original score, songs and choreography make this a musical that will stay with me forever. It’s clear to see how this production which was co-produced by the Mayflower is celebrating its 10th anniversary of its London West End premiere.

I would give the show an overall 5 out of 5 and I would go back to see Titanic time and time again.
The tickets cost from £24.50 and was a very reasonable price for the tickets.
Tickets can be booked by visiting https://www.mayflower.org.uk/

Mayflower Theatre, 22-26 Commercial Rd, Southampton SO15 1GE