Titanique at Criterion Theatre - The Pride Gala Edition!

Reviews

5 Jul

Written by Cathie for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

London needs to watch out as an unstoppable juggernaut of a show has crash-landed the Titanic in the middle of Piccadilly and presents no signs of losing steam. Phenomenally directed by Tye Blue along with authorship by himself, Marla Mindelle, and Constantine Rousouli, Titanique is a side-splitting hilarious musical parody of the infamous 90s blockbuster with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

This musical is a hilarious collage of modern pop culture references, 90s jokes, and treats the 4th wall as a transparent touch screen that can freely interact with the audience throughout. Every joke possible is rung from the original movie plot, and no double entendre is left unspoken. However, this show is a rare gem in that it is also fully accessible even if you haven’t seen the movie. This show roams solidly into the absurd at every chance, and the level of improvisation and sheer joy the actors have in messing with each other is a joy to behold. The improv by Carl Mullaney as Ruth in particular literally had the audience writhing in laughter, especially their pointed commentary about the possibility of going ‘snorkelling’ amongst all the beautiful visitors to Pride. Other improv highlights include Jack and Rose in their triple pirouettes and belting the last notes from the Wicked movie. Considering this show originated off Broadway in 2022, before transferring to the West End in 2024, it balances well the broader American jokes as well as referencing some niche British humour in a beautiful juggling act.

It is a comedy which is firmly set only as a parody of the movie, referencing many of the characters by their original actors’ names and careers, and the actual characters they represented. In this form, it manages to avoid disrespecting the original tragedy and places itself firmly in the satire history hall of fame.

The true diamonds that shine brighter than any priceless jewels are the stunning cast. Lauren Drew as Celine Dion is pure theatrical genius. Her powerhouse of a performance gives the show most of its humour and leads the audience to enjoy this tale. She showcases Dion as witty, hilarious, and not afraid to shine in her rightful glory with her frankly stunning vocals. Jack (Luke Bayer) and Rose (Hiba Elchikhe) were satirically superb and kept all of the audience thoroughly engaged in their love story and insane banter. Charlotte Wakefield as the indomitable Molly Brown displayed brilliant wit and powerful vocals. Tosh Wanogho-Maud excelled as a versatile chameleon in multiple roles, including a dynamic Tina Turner Iceberg, with vocals so captivating they elicited wild cheers from the audience. Richard Carson as Cal demonstrated a subtle mastery of innuendo and witty commentary, and his chemistry with Carl Mullaney was outstanding. Darren Bennett also delivered an incredible performance as Victor Garber and Luigi. His electrifying ballads and amusing cheesy jokes serve as a wonderful glue, helping to hold the chaotic ship of dreams together.

The performance today was a specialised pride gala performance, where the LGBTQIA+ flag was proudly waving across the entire theatre and funky sailor hats were strewn artfully across every seat. It is a wonderful example of progressive inclusion to see a show so enthusiastically celebrate the beautiful diversity of our society and actively work with the charity Pride in London to support LGBTQIA+. Many of the cast also mentioned that they would be proud and delighted to be at the Pride celebrations in London this weekend, 5th and 6th July.

This is truly a show that needs to be on your theatrical bucket list as much as Les Mis or Oliver. As those shows show much pathos and power in the lives of the less fortunate, Titanique reminds us of the sheer exhilarating joy of being alive and finding the humour and will to survive in even the darkest of situations. If you want an utterly hilarious and truly side-splitting parody musical which will leave you full of joy and bursting with good humour, then this is the show for you.