“Titanique” at Criterion Theatre
Franco Milazzo in the West End
10 January 2024
This Off-Broadway multi-award-winning smash – or should that be splash? – hit comedy took the Big Apple by storm, turning one of cinema’s most popular (and, with box-office takings of $2.3 billion, most lucrative) romances into a hilarious musical voyage bursting with Nineties nostalgia and camp parody. The show has recently also opened in Sydney, Toronto, and Montreal and will be opening in Paris later this year. Will the show dock successfully in London or will this opening be its iceberg?
Photo credit: Mark Senior.
With a book from Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, Titanique is a suitably over-the-top musical parody that reimagines James Cameron’s 1997 movie plot through the lens of Canadian chanteuse Céline Dion, singer of the film’s enduring theme song “My Heart Will Go On”. In a museum dedicated to the ill-fated transatlantic liner, a hapless tour guide (played with wit and charm by Layton Williams) makes dubious claims about some of the artefacts on display. The tour is hijacked by Dion (Lauren Drew) claiming that history has it all wrong and that, having survived the sinking, she will reveal what really happened.
The story centres on a mostly British cast to tell the story of Jack (Rob Houchen), Rose (Kat Ronney), and their love affair. In a gloriously camp and over-the-top performance, American actor and comedian Stephen Guarino makes his stage debut as Rose’s impecunious and social-climbing mother Ruth alongside West End favourite Jordan Luke Gage as her louche and entitled fiancé Cal. The cast deftly play myriad other roles, delivering strong performances across the board.
The show balances poking fun at the film with paying homage to Dion herself. Many of her famous (and not so famous) numbers are smartly woven into the fabric of the storyline. Drew’s portrayal of the diva is impressive, capturing Dion’s diva persona via her accent, tone of voice, and exaggerated but well-observed mannerisms and posture. The humour is fast-paced, packed with puns, jokes, and a steady stream of pop culture references such as Riverdance, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and the recent Wicked movie.
With a plot that is built on absurdity from the get-go, Titanique doesn’t take itself too seriously but, as with all the best parodies, it knows its success relies on the performances. Everyone here is at the top of their game in Tye Blue’s high-energy production with great comedic timing, slick choreography (by Ellenore Scott), and impressions that are immediately recognizable and extremely funny.
With the fictional Dion being a central character in this jukebox musical, it’s not surprising to see her music play such a major role. The live band, led by music director Adam Wachter, is a blast throughout while the cast’s singing rivals anything you might hear in the West End or Broadway. We’re treated to many tracks from Dion’s back catalogue: the Titanic theme song is present and correct, “All By Myself” is sung beautifully by Charlotte Wakefield, while “River Deep – Mountain High” is given a stunning rendition by Layton Williams as the Iceberg.
Those looking for fresh insights into or a reverential return to the epic disaster flick may walk out disappointed. For Titanique, it’s full steam ahead for as many laughs as they can fit in, while the power ballads and fourth-wall-breaking antics never feel like stowaways. All aboard!
