Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What do you get when you combine one of the biggest movies of all time with one of the most legendary divas of the last few decades? If your answer is anything other than high camp, you would be wrong. Following huge success in New York, Titanique has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and docked in London as it prepares to make waves in the West End. Would this prove to be the show of dreams and capture the hearts of British audiences, or would it be a total disaster? There’s only one way to find out – shall we go for it?
The premise of Titanique (and do bear with me here as I’m not making this up) sees a tour of the Titanic museum get hijacked by the legendary diva Celine Dion herself. Using it as an opportunity to tell her story, she enlightens her captive audience about what really went down on that fateful night as seen in the movie. Prepare for the story of Jack and Rose as you have never seen them before… with an extra helping of Celine herself, of course. If that sounds quite eccentric, you really do have no idea, but over the course of 100 minutes, you’ll get the picture.
Let’s get this out the way – Titanique is making no attempt to be serious and knows exactly what it is. If you are expecting a heartfelt story full of nuance and emotion, you may be better off sticking with the movie. The sole aim of this show is to give the audience a fun night with the only tears being ones of laughter – in that respect consider it a job well done. With a book by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue, it is a single act full of chaos as Jack and Rose’s love story is retold with as much high camp as you can squeeze on to one West End stage.
Titanique is a silly show but unashamedly so. Exaggerating every little detail, it is an uncanny knack of finding the funny in any situation with an impressive hit rate of jokes that never misses. Now updated full of British references, if you want to see how Eastenders, Gemma Collins and Dua Lipa fit into the story, the Criterion Theatre is the only place you’ll find the answer. Pop culture plays a huge part of the story so if you’re not up to date with all your references, some things may go over your head. However, if you’ve been holding space for all the latest goings on in the world of celebrity, you will have the time of your life. RuPaul’s Drag Race gets a smattering of mentions, with a climactic lipsync battle being every bit as glorious as you would hope, culminating in Jordan Luke Gage as you have never seen him before. The attention to detail in the humour is what makes Titanique shine with one blink and you miss it reference to the Wicked movie press tour a real highlight.
The fun factor continues in Tye Blue’s direction with choices that feel like it was designed to be performed in a gay club as opposed to a West End theatre – but that’s the charm of this production and it works incredibly well. With cast members parading through the audience, never breaking character in the slightest even when they are walking out a door in the audience, hidden from view, it almost feels like an immersive production in that sense. If you are brave (or stupid) enough to sit in the front row, who knows what you might be asked to do, but it’s certainly not for the faint hearted!
The set design by Gabriel Hainer Evansohn and Grace Laubacher may be described by the cast as the set of Anything Goes but it does exactly what you want with an assignment that must have said “Make it resemble the Titanic… but camp”. An incredible use of lighting from Paige Seber ramps up the camp factor with bright, multi-coloured lights always looking stunning. Elenore Scott’s choreography makes the stage come alive with a mixture of style and humour in sequences that always prove glorious to watch.
The biggest jewel in Titanique is not the ridiculously oversized Heart of the Ocean (you won’t believe where it was purchased from!) but instead is the absolute dream cast that have been assembled. Stacked with many a West End favourite, most of whom are used to leading productions themselves. Putting them all together has created one of the strongest and most joyous ensemble casts in the West End where it is hard to single out a standout star, such is the consistent and ridiculous talent of all of them.
It would be wrong to start with anyone other than Celine Dion herself. Noticeably absent from the 1997 absent, James Cameron clearly made a huge mistake there as Celine well and truly steals the show. Who has been chosen to step into her legendary shows but Lauren Drew, who doesn’t just wow with her performance but blows everything else out of the water in a characterisation so powerful it could melt even the biggest of icebergs. Lauren Drew is a revelation in the role, showcasing all of her many talents – each of which is as impressive as the last. Anyone who has seen her before will know what a sensational voice she has but put her as Celine and you reach new levels of brilliance. Absolutely nailing Celine’s tone, there are moments where you could close your eyes and believe it is the actual Celine in front of you (though who would ever want to close their eyes at this show?), Drew has a voice bigger than the Titanic itself. She is not just a one-trick-pony, however – her comedic abilities are beyond what I could have ever expected with overly expressive facial expressions and potentially the funniest use of movement I have ever seen in the theatre – every time she skulked off the stage and into the audience, I found myself howling with laughter. A true talent, this is a role that not only plays up to her strengths, it amplifies them in a performance so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets awards for it.
Though Celine is front and centre on the poster, Titanique isn’t just about her – indeed, there are lengthy periods of time during the show where she isn’t seen but the level of talent remains regardless. Rob Houchen shows a more comedic side to him in a brilliantly funny turn as Jack, bringing an element to the character which feels like a cross between Leonardo DiCaprio and Jim Carrey. Kat Ronney delights in her turn as Rose, showing versatility with her different dynamics with all the characters and her varying relationships with them, and creating a fantastic double act with Houchen that sees them lift each other’s performance so much, you’ll feel they are flying.
Jordan Luke Gage takes the character of Cal and ups the ante to deliver an over-the-top portrayal that paints a new side to him but shows what a remarkable performer he is. Pouting and sulking, he may not have the biggest role comparatively but still remains dominant in the production as a testament to his talents – though there isn’t as much opportunity to hear his wonderful vocals as there have been in previous shows, his lip sync proves to be one of the more memorable moments of the show. Darren Bennett gives a hilarious turn as both Victor Barber and Luigi – similarly over-the-top but fabulously so, truly steering the ship in an impactful turn. As Molly Brown, Charlotte Wakefield is unsinkable in a role that might not be as fleshed out as others but is elevated through her incredible performance skills, delivering one of the standout musical moments of the show with duet with Rose, ‘Tell Him’.
Layton Williams is a star in his own right and has form for scene-stealing abilities, such is the nature of his immeasurable stage presence. There are moments in Titanique where he reigns it in, to be one of the ensemble and shine as part of a unit. However, the moments where he breaks free, he once again proves what a phenomenal talent he is. As The Seaman he gets some of the better one-liners and transforms into Paebo Bryson for a standout musical moment, duetting with Lauren Drew’s Celine on a performance of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ like you have never seen before. However, it is his turn as the Iceberg (yes, you read that correctly) that truly wows. If you watched Titanic and thought “this movie would be better if the iceberg came to life, got into drag and gave a performance of a Tina Turner classic” (and let’s be honest, didn’t we all think that?) this show has you covered. If I came out of the theatre remembering just one musical number, it would be Layton’s outstanding ‘River Deep, Mountain High’, playing to all his strengths in the most feel-good, joyous sequence of the show.
The main cast is completed by Stephen Guarino as Ruth, Rose’s mother. Perhaps not the most memorable character in the movie but she certainly is the most memorable in Titanique. Like I said earlier, all the performers in this show are sensational in their own right and it’s hard to mention standouts. That said, Guarino is completely spell-binding in the role, delivering a comic masterclass throughout. Whether it is an exaggerated reaction or a subtle glance, this characterisation is one of the singular funniest things I have ever seen on stage. With improvisation used in several moments, Guarino has the time of his life thinking on his feet and delivering some wickedly funny one-liners. Among the ones during his extended meltdown at this performance were “I’m in a bad mood. I’m an investor in The Devil Wears Prada musical”, “If you don’t know that, you’re not gay enough. Get the f*** out this theatre” and, referring to the improvised scene, “they asked me to shave three minutes off. I added six”. While the laughter comes thick and fast during Titanique, none proved as riotously funny as this sequence, with Guarino thrilling at every turn.
The use of improvisation during Titanique is part of what makes the show so exciting and lends itself well to repeat visits (I’ve been twice already). While the majority of the show is, of course, scripted, the use of improvised elements and spaces in the show solely for this creates a sense of unpredictability and spontaneity that even the cast don’t know what they’re doing. Another key improvised moment comes from Celine Dion, directing Jack and Rose to do whatever she feels like in the moment – this performance saw a Wicked inspired sequence, forcing Rob Houchen to do a double pirouette and Kat Ronnay to deliver Elphaba’s battle cry while commenting on this press night they were being judged by an auditorium full of reviewers. These moments also allow for a freshness to the show in a production that has already been updated from off-Broadway and I imagine will continue to update as inevitably more pop culture references become relevant.
The last aspect of Titanique to talk about is the music. Celine Dion isn’t just a character in the story, this is a jukebox musical featuring her songs, though this isn’t so much a greatest hits offering with some of her lesser known singles moving the story along and some of her biggest hits absent for one reason or another. Highlights among the numbers are a fantastic sequence involving ‘To Love You More’, a powerhouse trio featuring Celine, Rose and Molly Brown tackling ‘Tell Him’ in what might have been the best vocal of the evening, and, of course, a climactic rendition of her most enduring classic ‘My Heart Will Go On’. There is an added element on offer for Celine Dion fans with several niche references, or “deep cuts” as Celine calls them in the show, included featuring not just her timeless numbers but her often wacky personality too (search for a video called “Celine Dion is f***ing amazing and thank me later). As a huge Celine fan myself, I appreciated every moment.
When you see the description of Titanique, it sounds like it could be a sinking ship. However, the combination of the story with Celine Dion and a show so camp, it makes London Pride look muted in comparison, is a resounding success. Sometimes you want nothing more than a show that can fill you with joy and this show does that and so much more. 100 minutes flew by quicker than Leonardo DiCaprio doing a full nude drawing of Kate Winslet in a show I never wanted to finish. If only it could go on and on. Quite possibly the most fun you will ever have in a theatre, this may be the funniest show in the West End at the moment – Titanique is magnifique!
Titanique is booking at the Criterion Theatre until 30th March
Photos by Mark Senior
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