Some of the 70-strong cast of Titanic, The Musical. Picture by Jennifer Burton.
PICTURE GALLERY
STAGE REVIEWTHE depth of Island talent was there for all to see in the brilliant Island Savoyards production of Titanic, The Musical.
A 70-strong cast, featuring many Island theatre award winners, provided a musical to remember, which was rightly given a standing ovation by the audience at Shanklin Theatre.
The story needed no introduction but the challenge was could the Island Savoyards turn it into a musical that worked?
The answer was obvious by the reaction of the audience at the end.
It started with passengers boarding the ship and as the story unfolded throughout the first act, the audience was introduced to the characters on board.
Among those was Alice Beane, played by Samantha Howard, a second-class passenger most concerned with meeting the rich and famous.
Howard combined her amazing voice with a number of funny lines, which at times gave the show a comical and light-hearted feel, when it was appropriate.
Another notable performance was given by Ashleigh Mackness, as third-class passenger, Kate McGowan.
The love story between McGowan and Jim Farrell, played by Charles Johnson, was heart-felt, while Mackness’s outstanding voice was a notable highlight.
The moment the ship approached the iceberg cleverly bought act one to a close and the second half concerned the panic that followed.
One of the show’s most memorable scenes was the mass struggle to get people on to the lifeboats, as those who missed out agonisingly watched their loved ones leave them behind.
The drama was enhanced by the orchestra, although if I were ultra critical, there were times it masked the singing.
However, the costumes were outstandingly authentic and the hydraulic stage, which raised to simulate the sinking of the ship, brought the show to a sad but impressively delivered conclusion.
• Pictures from our online gallery www.iwcpgallery.co.uk below.
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Reporter: mattw@iwcpmail.co.uk