Titanic The Musical At Regent Theatre Stoke, Review

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

Even though Titanic is not considered to be the greatest maritime tragedy, it definitely is the most famous tragic disaster of the 20th Century. 1517 men, women and children lost their lives. I was excited but very nervous about watching this show as the 1997 film Titanic has been one of my absolute all-time favourite films and I didn’t want that to change. I was however very intrigued to see how a disaster at sea would be portrayed on stage.
In the final hours of 14th April 1912, ‘the unsinkable ship’ RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg and slowly sank. In hindsight, it seems almost silly that anyone would assume that a ship weighing more than 50,000 tons (when fully laden) was unsinkable. While it is hard to say whether people thought the ship was absolutely unsinkable under any circumstances, it is clear that people believed that the passenger liner’s safety design (by Thomas Andrews) was state-of-the-art, and some did describe it as “unsinkable” before it ever set sail.

This stirring and stunning musical portrays the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of her passengers, all of whom boarded with individual stories and ambitions. Titanic The Musical is based on the real people aboard the biggest ship in history. Despite their innocent ignorance, Third Class immigrants dream of a better life in America, Second Class immigrants go on to believe they can too join the glitz and glamor of the rich and famous, while millionaire Barons of the First Class envision timeless legacies. An interesting aspect of the show is its unabashed political nature. It is clear that the Titanic symbolized a rigid class structure even though it is celebrated as “a floating city” that encompasses human aspirations. When the ship hits an iceberg, it is the rich and spoilt who initially hesitate to obey orders before securing their places on the lifeboats. I thoroughly enjoyed performances from Barnaby Hughes as an unflustered purser, Lucie Mae-Sumner as a pregnant Irishwoman and Bree Smith as an aspirational second-class passenger. Every single cast member on stage brought this show to life and contributed to its success. The musical sadly leaves an aftershock with its reminder that 1,500 passengers drowned, 450 seats were empty. The collective singing on stage was absolutely second to none. The finale had the hair on my arms standing straight up – it was faultless.

David Woodhead, Set & Costume Designer brought the early 1900’s back to life with their creations. The cast looked and felt the part to a tee. Andrew Johnson (Sound Designer) and Howard Hudson’s (Lighting Designer) ingenious timing added to the magic that is this show.

Rating: I rate this show as 5/5. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a show that moved me as much as this one. I’ve grown up with the legend that is Titanic and my three children have learned about it at school and last night was the first time I had ever wondered how I would have ever left my husband on board to save my children – or even worse, be stuck in third class and not even able to have to the opportunity to choose. I could feel the devastation and tragedy. This show needs to be seen – make sure you don’t miss it in a theatre near you.

The show is on from Monday 24th April 2023 until Saturday 29th April 2023

Tickets cost from £13.00 (subject to a transaction fee of £3.80)

Ticket prices start from £13 and can be purchased from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/titanic-the-musical/regent-theatre/calendar/2023-04-24