The early evening swelters around Surry Hills where 'Titanique' is making its debut Australian voyage. The theatre’s interior reflects the time period well, as little decorations add to the atmosphere. Upon the stage, a gigantic heart of the ocean diamond beats with an expectant pulse.
The show follows the classic tale of 'Titanic', as recounted by the questionable memory of Celine Dion, who also claims she was there. The story steams along thanks to a soundtrack of Celine’s biggest hits, and shovels load after load of belly-bursting humour right into the engine’s fire.
The gags fly into your face from the first moment Abu Kebe takes to the stage as a Titanic museum guide, who is instantly distracted by his ex-boyfriend Brian (who is looking “really good”), and it’s clear this show is going to be very campy. What else would you expect from a Celine Dion musical?
From the first notes, the cast’s musical ability is face-smackingly evident. This may be a comedy, but there is no sacrifice of musical talent. Every singer in the show shines in their own dedicated moments, even the backing vocalists, in what is a world-class production. Marney McQueen is a perfect Celine – strong, hilarious and aptly accented, she draws all the attention on stage, but not in a distracting way, simply by her charisma. There isn’t one performer who doesn’t knock you overboard with their power and control, and armed with Dion’s impeccable songs, there is nothing left wanting. In fact, an extra diva shows up in the most unexpected character, and you get double for your money.
Image © Daniel Boud
The show’s humour is a side-splitting distraction from life’s cares and worries. Nothing is safe from the cast’s jabs, not even Broadway royalty currently starring in other Sydney productions. The lines are nicely contextualised; Prouds, Forever 21 and a surprising Australian politics reference sail their way in. Stephen Anderson takes the villainous role of Ruth with both his hands and the two birds upon his head, and crushes it in the best way possible. He serves up the show’s best zingers with jagged sass, “what a glorious day to be a rich, skinny monster”, and Ruth’s utter detest of her daughter is one of the funniest parts. A vegetable joke that should have stood out like an iceberg from miles away is one of the best, while another vegetable shines in its own comedic right. The entire theatre roars throughout the show, and you need to remember to breathe.
The show loses a little momentum in the middle, but with a fast start out of the blocks, there has to be some reprieve before the plot races to the characters’ unfortunate ends. Or is there a happy ending? Rose and Jack’s chemistry leaves something to be desired, but it’s not as relevant as you might think. 'Titanique' might be the funniest show of musically talented individuals you ever see in your life, and it comes home with a very wet sail indeed.
★★★★☆ 1/2.
