The story of the Titanic which sunk on 15th April 1912 with the loss of two-thirds of its passengers, isn’t a tale that readily springs to mind as the subject for a stage musical.
It has been produced on Broadway, but the challenge for an amateur group portraying what at the time was the largest, strongest ship in the world is huge. However, the society rises to it with nothing short of professionalism.
Let’s look at numbers. A total of 1,517 people died on that fateful day, and just 711 survived. This was portrayed by a cast of 61, aided by an orchestra of 19 musicians and a 36-strong production team.
When the wreck of the Titanic was discovered in 1985, I was working for a weekly newspaper in Bournemouth and my editor set me the task of finding out if there were any survivors in the area – and remember there was no internet in those days. I eventually interviewed a man who had lost his father and discovered the privations suffered by families left without a breadwinner.
The conditions on board were quite different for the first, second and third classes, and this is skilfully illustrated in this musical which from the word go makes you feel as if you are watching the White Star liner sail off from Southampton. As the passengers stream on to the ship, you are introduced to the characters you soon come to either empathise with or deride.
Watch every single member of the cast and you see they are totally immersed in their portrayals, whether they have a non-speaking or starring role.As impossible as it is to single out characters from this production that will have you smiling despite the lump in your throat that you know will come, mention must be made of Lee Neal as Thomas Andrews, the architect of the great ship. Lee is a familiar figure on the local stage as he has appeared with Ferndown Phoenix, Ferndown Drama and Wimborne Musical Society. We share his initial pride and feel the final despair as Lee gives the part his all.
With the minimum of disruption, the production portrays every part of the ship from the bridge to the boiler room, the first class saloon to the third class corridors. You are there when the iceberg strikes, and when the inadequate lifeboats are filled. And then there is that final scene. It runs until Saturday. Try to get a ticket. MB