Criterion Archives - The Real Chrisparkle

Titanique sails into London riding the crest of a wave of compliments from its productions off-Broadway, in Australia and in Canada. With a preview schedule almost longer than James Cameron’s original film, and very decently priced seats for the West End, it was the perfect choice for the first show of our post-Christmas London theatre splurge. Talking of the film, we’d never seen it (yes, I know) and decided that we should watch it before seeing this show – and it was the wisest of moves. If you’ve never seen Titanic, Titanique will make little sense. However, if you have seen it, you’ll realise that this is a dream of a parody show that hits the ground (sea?) running and never lets up with its amazing energy and blistering humour for a full 100 minutes and no interval.

The premise is, admittedly, bizarre. Suspend your disbelief and imagine that one of the passengers on the Titanic’s one and only sailing was Canada’s gift to the world of showbusiness, Celine Dion. Let’s face it, it would have been the perfect journey for such a top celeb. Celine takes us through those fateful few days of navigational disaster, introducing us to Rose (Kat Ronney), Jack (Rob Houchen), the ghastly Cal (Jordan Luke Gage), the unsinkable Molly (Charlotte Wakefield) and Rose’s awful mum Ruth (Stephen Guarino).The ship builder, played in the film by Victor Garber, is here played as Victor Garber (played by Darren Bennett); the iceberg, portrayed in the film as an early CGI piece of cellophane, is here represented with much more pizzazz by Layton Williams. We also get to meet Peabo Bryson, Tina Turner, and Luigi from Super Mario, and are treated to several numbers from the Celine Dion playlist, although I can’t recall her version of Who Let The Dogs Out. All very 1912, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

The only thing this show lacks is subtlety; everything else it has in abundance. Adam Wachter’s four-piece band produces more depth, volume and musical brilliance than you can imagine, filling every inch of the intimate setting of the Criterion Theatre. There’s a bright and inviting set, the costumes and lighting are excellent, and the use of props hilarious – we finally get to discover what the original use was for that vital door that eventually carries our heroine Rose to safety (you’ll never guess). And the eight-strong cast all put in an extraordinary performance of commitment, comedy and incredible musicality.

For our performance, Celine Dion was played by understudy Kristina Walz and she is stunning. Her portrayal is so accurate, so mischievous, yet so affectionate too, that La Dion could have been in the room. I’ve never really been that fond of My Heart Will Go On (I’m more of a Think Twice man, personally) but she gave it such power and meaning that I’ve had to change my mind. It’s a brilliant performance. Musically, every single member of the cast gives a truly star performance that it takes your breathaway – Jordan Luke Gage has a superb voice that comes through in every number, Charlotte Wakefield’s All By Myself is stunning and Layton Williams channelling his Tina Turner with an incredible River Deep Mountain High is probably the highlight of the show. Stephen Guarino’s endless bitchy asides as the dreadful Ruth keep you in stitches, but the whole cast perform with such heart and a thrilling enjoyment of what they are doing that you feel yourself tingle with pleasure throughout the show.

Yes, there were one or two punchlines that didn’t quite work but that’s the beauty of an extended preview run, and I am sure that when the show is fully established this will be an unmissable winner. Currently scheduled to run until the end of March, but surely that will be extended. A lethal combination of musical brilliance and comic genius, and I can’t wait to go again.

Five Alive, Let Theatre Thrive!

A few train strikes weren’t going to stop Mrs Chrisparkle and me from undertaking our annual post-Christmas trip to London to catch up on a few shows and blitz the sales; although it did mean having to take an extra night in a hotel the night before we had intended to travel. But you don’t want to hear about our transport difficulties. You want to hear about how much we enjoyed our shows! (At least, I hope you do.)

Our first show was 2:22 A Ghost Story, currently at the Criterion but shortly to be moving to the Lyric. This is (I think) its fourth reincarnation since it first opened at the Noel Coward Theatre in 2021. It’s a show that appears for a while then goes away, then comes back, then goes away again, then comes back… you get the drift… almost like a ghost re-emerging from the shadows (see what I did there?) Each time it comes back it has a new cast which I am sure keeps the whole thing fresh and lively.

A bit like The Mousetrap, at the end of the show they ask the audience not to tell anyone the secret of the play, and I am nothing if not obedient. But I wouldn’t be giving the game away by telling you a little of what it’s about. New mother Jenny is decorating the ramshackle old house that she has bought with partner Sam, with one eye on her painting skills and one ear on the baby alarm. For reasons best known to her, she is still working away at gone 2am – I would have though most new mothers would be knackered long before then, but we’ll let that pass. By the time she decides to pack up and go to bed, it’s 2:22 in the morning. Cue the first heart-attack-inducing moment in the play for the audience! Jenny becomes more and more convinced that her new house is haunted but cynical Sam thinks it’s a load of old baloney. But when they have a dinner party for Sam’s old friend Lauren and her new boyfriend Ben, things start to get a little out of hand. Ben turns out to be quite the Ghost Whisperer, much to Sam’s dismay. Are there really ghosts in the house? They decide to stay up till 2:22 to see what happens….

I’d heard good things about this play but I wasn’t expecting quite such a superb piece of writing. Danny Robins’ text is sharp, clever, witty, and totally honest with the audience; and he gets some nice digs in at yuppie North London home renovators too! If you want to stay ahead of the game, the clues are there to help you work it out before the final curtain. However, the play weaves such a wonderful web of atmosphere and spookiness that you just revel in the moment and don’t give a thought to what possible solution there might be to it all – making the final revelation even more of a surprise.

The whole production is excellent too, with an intriguing set by Anna Fleischle, unsettling lighting from Lucy Carter and a frankly terrifying sound design by Ian Dickinson. The terrific cast of four work together superbly well, with a variety of accents that give a heart-warming sense of inclusivity. There’s a great West End debut from Laura Whitmore as Jenny, a delightfully understated performance from Matt Willis as Ben, Felix Scott is a superbly exasperated Sam and Tamsin Carroll provides a lot of the humour as Lauren.

Terrific fun all the way through; and when you realise exactly what it is that has happened (right at the very end of the play) there’s a huge sense of satisfaction that everything makes sense, and all loose ends are tied up. There’s no reason why a crowd-pleaser of a play shouldn’t also be a marvellous work of art; and 2:22 A Ghost Story proves it. The new season opens at the Lyric Theatre on 21^st January, and I highly recommend it!

Five Alive, Let Theatre Thrive!