“Titanic The Musical”
Nottingham Theatre Royal

14 April 1912, the Titanic was on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York when it struck an iceberg and sank and 1517 people lost their lives. This is the story of the most iconic ship that never sailed the seas.

The story is based on real people who boarded the ship and focuses on their hopes, individual dreams and aspirations of the new life they were heading for. This is their story.

I’d been told that this was a brilliant production and the story is an emotional one with a beautiful soundtrack, so my expectations were already high. I was not disappointed because this musical is in a class of its' own.

The first act is in complete contrast to the second Act. The first being full of hope, singing, dancing and making merry. The second act is packed with emotion, sadness and despair.

Please do not go expecting to see the same story as made famous in the film, because you won’t get Leonardo and Kate and the band didn't play "My Heart Will Go On" as the ship went down.

With such a big tragedy, and with so many cast members involved I wondered how the directors were going to make the enormous tragedy realistic on stage.

How could they get the enormity of the tragedy to a theatre audience? There are no cinematic video backdrops and no stuntmen throwing themselves off of the top of the boat into the stalls or the orchestra pit.

The secret to this success is all in the lighting, designed by Howard Hudson, and the actual sinking of the Titanic is quite breath taking and emotional as the characters say their final goodbyes to their loved ones.

The singing is outstanding and the songs, written by Maury Yeston, are likewise. Many of the songs may not stay with you but "Still" is incredibly emotional. Sung by Mr and Mrs Strauss as they decide not to take to the lifeboats, they sing of their love for each other, knowing they are going to die in the same way as they have lived their whole life, together.

More often than not I pick out actors or characters who I think were exceptional. In this show, that would be quite an impossibility because they were all exceptional.

When the Director, Thom Southerland and Producers put together this cast, they must have thanked heaven for being sent such talented people.

The set and costume design by David Woodhead are visually stunning. The part just before the ship disappears is very cleverly executed.

The story and book is by Peter Stone and between Maury and Peter, their awards cabinet is fully stocked.

But it's also the facts that are revealed that are saddening. The fact that there were many places in the lifeboats were left empty, when so many more could have been saved.

Also the stiff upper lip attitude by the teenage bell boys who also lost their lives, most of them only 14 years old.

While you may feel emotional as you leave the theatre, I guarantee you will have something to talk about long after tonight is all over.

“Titanic The Musical” was always going to go down well with the theatre loving crowd, so get on board, don’t forget your tissues, and come and see a show that is not like any other at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 7 July 2018