Review: TITANÍQUE @ Criterion Theatre, London

 

★★★★ (4 of 5)

Sat in the bar of the bjiou Criterion Theatre,  we were wracking our brains to see what we could remember of James Cameron's 1997 three hour epic Titanic. We knew we were going to have to cast our minds back because the cast of the latest West End comedy smash were going to be unravelling the movie before our eyes.

And so it is that the main players gather on the stage only to be immediately upstaged by the arrival of octave defying superstar Celine Dion herself,  who strangely seems to think she was on the Titanic all those years or go - or should I say Titaníque (said in her French / Canadian accent) which is where the show gets its title from.

Luke Bayer is a delightfully fey Jack, marginally in love with first class passenger Rose. The aptly named Rose Galbraith is, well Rose a befuddled creature caught between her arrogant and entitled fiance Cal (Richard Carson). From here in on, it gets all rather surreal as the players bring a version of the story to its audience which takes some artistic liberties. Its high class cabaret,  At one point Ru Paul's Drag Race enters the equasion, this is Titanic on a colossal pride stage. The camp-ometer is off the scale. Carl Mullaney as Rose's controlling mum Ruth steals much of the show with his / her seemingly off the cuff acerbic patter, which on the night we went included people standing on the wrong side of the tube esculator, ABBA, the 2016 social media fetish and pretty much everything inbetween. Double Olivier-nominee Charlotte Wakefield as the unsinkable Molly Brown has her moment in the sun with a rendering of 'All By Myself' proving she has the lungs given the chance.  The entire cast are total high energy and supported by a skilled four piece band.

 

Astrid Harris commands the show with her Celine Dion, big in voice and ego as she steps in to take over key moments of the plot and anybody else's limelight.  The iceberg is stylishly portrayed as an icon of music by Ryan Carter and he ramps up the energy levels with his wicked homage. Director (and co-writer) Tye Blue finds just the right mix of manic and showstoppers to keep the evening sailing along to a successful conclusion.     

Its classy crazy cabaret,  you just have to let the whirlwind of camp overwhelm you.  Titaníque offers two hours of unbridled fun (warning no interval!) with laughs aplenty and a queer sensibility that will raise the rainbow levels. You are advised to set sail when you can,  if being wet and covered in seamen is your thing, this show is for you!  We doubt we will watch James Cameron's multi million pound epic in quite the same way again.

Rob & Ian