Roy Atterbury enjoys West Wickham
Operatic Society's production of Titanic.

The march of technology has continued to amaze people
over recent decades, never more so when the Titanic left
its moorings at Southampton when the ship began its
maiden voyage on 19th April 1909.

It was the largest ocean-going liner ever built and was vaunted as being unsinkable. Technology, however, is created by human scientists and engineers who are often driven by such factors as their own self-esteem and hindered by such mundane problems as the economic strictures on major projects. In such circumstances it is virtually impossible to make something that is perfect. The space shuttle is a modern equivalent.

So much has been written about Titanic in literature and on the big screen, it was surprising when Peter Stone wrote the book and story and Maury Yeston wrote the music and lyrics for a stage musical about the tragedy in 1997. Broadway critics, on the whole, gave it the thumbs down but, to an extent, audience power provided the income and the incentive to keep the show on stage for a reasonable length of time. Now it is available to non-professional companies and the West Wickham Operatic Society has just presented the London premiere at Bromley's Churchill Theatre.

I didn't quite know what to expect and was surprised when the work turned out to be a cleverly devised cross between opera and spoken word in the style of 'opera buffa'. Variations on this form have been used for shows shuch as Chess and Les Misérables but for Titanic, the technique helped to overcome the problem of dealing with the many true story lines and characters that would have been impossible to flesh out in a traditional musical theatre form. Duets, trios and quartets were used to extremely good effect while the choral singing was outstanding and, indeed, of a quality that was good enough for any operatic stage.

The main sets for the ship were split into the magnificently impressive first class dining room and grand salon, the first class smoking room, the promenade deck, and from the bridge down to the radio room, the cheapest accomodation decks and the boiler room. The latter gave a powerful indication of the power house within the ship. There was also a chance to see a wide variety of costumes from the period which superbly mirrored the social status of the different categories of passengers.

The director never over-exagerated the drama and never quite allowed the immensity of the sinking to totally envelop the story line. Jonathan French was excellent as the ship's captain while Chris Cahill impressed as the radio operator. Although in a small role, Joby Morris made a real impact as the almost insignifiant bellboy. In a very large cast, Philip Netscher as the ship's designer, Kevin Gauntlett as its owner, and Luke Birchenhough playing the lookout also contributed to some fine performances while choreographer Sue Hann and conductor Colin Warnock added to the highly professional production which never quite managed to recreate the enormity of a tragic disaster.

But it has many good songs, good music and deserves recognition for its ingenuity and, at times, its poignancy and dramatic power.

Indelible Memories

It is easy to get swept up in the emotion of a piece of theatre with such a strong
story line as that of SS Titanic. Hailed as the largest moving object in the world,
it sank on its maiden voyage with the loss of over 1,5000 lives. This sensitively
told version of events manages to combine the very human narrative of those
involved in the tragedy - victims and survivors - with a well-balanced mix of
foreboding as well as frivolous music.

WWOS's towering production was well worthy of the proud boast that it was the
'London Premiere' of a show that, I believe has taken too long to reach the
British stage.

There are no totally dominant roles and manu of the to (yes, 70) strong cast took the spotlight at one time or another, to weave a compkex tapestry of life in this floating township. Ismay, the owner of the ship, through his company White Star Line was, of anyone, portrayed as the villain, compounded by taking a place in a life-raft when other, more worthy candidates for survival, were left to perish. Kevin Gauntlett brought out this arrogance and the rejection of criticism which, the writer implied, could be levelled against him. Philip Netscher showed the self-doubt felt by Andrews, the ship's designer. Jonathan French looked exactly right as Smith, the Captain but did not always project the commanding presence expected of the master of this prestigious vessel. The trio, in which they variously accepted and denied responsibility for the disaster was a highlight.

Nat Hook, Barrett, the stoker, delivered his work-song solo clearly and with sincerity. Amanda Farrant brought out Alice Beane's irrepressible social aspirations, which her indulgent husband (Chris Arden) could not control. Terry Gauntlett and Pauline Gregoire gave a touching portrayal of long-married Isidor and Ida Straus, who would not be parted and faced death together. Luke Birchenhough made an impact when he featured as Fleet, the lookout.

Choral work, a critical element in the show, was impeccable throughout. The full ensemble set the scene to perfection in the longhg constantly evolving opening number "Ship of Dreams" and were equally impressive in all their later appearances.

My one major criticism is not of the presentation but of the hired scenery. We were supposed to be on a palatial, no expense spared liner, yet paintwork was chipped and some construction looed shoddy. Nothing, though, could detract from a production that will leave indelible memories.

Titanic Play A Success

Everything about West Wickham Operatic Society's
producttion of Titanic was big - the budget, the cast,
the ship on stage - and as the curtain dropped at the
end of the opening night, it was clear the success
was also big.

When I heard that West Wickham Operatic Society was to stage the London premiere of Titanic-The Musical, I was filled with curiosity. How on earth could the tale unfold on a single stage, with the glamerous first-class dining rooms, the games on deck, not to mention a sinking ship? However, WWOS rose to the challenge. With help from Scenic Projects Ltd, the Churchill Theatre stage was transformed with simple, effective sets and minimal, carefully-chosen props. Swift set changes could see you dining with the first-class passengers one minute and feeling the heat with the stokers beneath deck the next. And, as the ship began to sink, the set took on a daunting slant with exploding chandeliers prompting panic.

Kevin Gauntlett was very much the obnoxious owner Ismay, swaggering about putting pressure on to push the Titanic to the limit and failing to acknowledge his part when disaster struck. The production was carefully choreographed, but a times suffered due to the cast in the larger scenes looking squashed and unable to move easily.

The tension built with the final scenes coming to a poignant end in which the few surviving members stood shrouded in blankets while the unlucky passengers silhouetted in the background reached desperately for help. Some of the cast struggled to project their voices, but in all the show was a success.

 Ellie Guttridge
(Bromley Extra, 1 December 2006)

It's enough to give you that sinking feeling: a musical about one of history's most notorious tragedies staged by an amateur company. It could have been a disaster. But West Wickham Operatic Society are certainly game for a challenge and in taking on the London premiere of this Broadway hit they did superbly well.

Director Kevin Gauntlett set sail with a cast and crew of 75 and although the first half was slowish, as we were introduced to all the major characters, the scond half as the ship headed towards the iceberg was pretty exciting. I was disappointed not to be in tears at the end though, as there's nothing so satifying as a good blub at a heart-rending bit of theatre.

Jonathan French looked marvelous as the captain, portentiosly announcing that this was to be his final voyage. Kevin Gauntlett was the upstartish owner Ismay, demanding ever greater speed. And Philip Netscher was the distraught Thomas Andrews, designer of the Titanic, who faced up to its fatal flaws in a moving performance. I enjoyed the tender partnership of Terry Gauntlett and Pauline Gregoire, first-class passengers who decided to stay together on the sinking ship rather than she join a lifeboat and they be parted. There were many pleasing cameo roles, notably Chris Cahill as Harold Bride (Who lived in Ravensbourne Avenue, Bromley), the wireless operator desperately trying to get another ship to pick up their distree signals.

Sets and costumes were effective and the ubiquitous Colin Warnock did sterling work in the pit with a score unfamiliar to most of us but which had some beautiful melodic moments.

Director, Kevin Gauntlett, had taken all the elements do well-known from books/films like a Night to Remember (forget Winslet's and Di Caprio's version which is smultz in the extreme) and wove them into a fast paced and intelligent production of this show. All the performers from the named passengers and crew to the lowliest of the steerage class had discernible characters given to them and there was a fine sense of camaraderie from all those involved. This was particularly evident when it came to the moving large numbers of cast aound the stage particularly during evacuation scene.

Colin Warnock, Conductor, kept the balance well between orchestra, soloists and ensemble. and the opening music provided a sense of place and history. Choreographer, Sue Hann, moved the ensemble with ease and precision and The DaMicos entertainers' dances were delightful.

Scenic Projects' set looked good as it always does and the lighting design emphasised its atmospheric quality and equally the lighting throughout was seamless and totally appropriate to the concept of the show. The costumes gave life to the period at the beginning of the century with the exception of a few ladies' costumes which seemed more 1890s than 1912. The men's uniforms and formal clothing gave them, as they always do, the inclination to stand up straight and look imposing. There was a sense, therefore, from the attire used of a far more formal and stylish age which aided the creation of exactly the right atmosphere.

27 November 2006