It’s a Friday night, and I’m off to Live Theatre to review Boiler Room Six: a Titanic Story, this time told from the underdog’s point of view
I always wonder why people are so into the Titanic story. Why, out of all the tragedies happening in the world, does this one stand out the most? There’s this almost magical fascination with it. Maybe it comes from the Titanic’s reputation as “unsinkable,” or from the film built around it, with its heartbreakingly tragic storyline. There are even museums where people can feel how cold the water was on the day the Titanic sank.
Minutes before the show, Live Theatre seems like the place to be on a Friday night. It’s busy with people’s chatter, wine glasses clinking, and the soft rustle of fingers flipping through the show’s brochure. Looking around, I feel relief that even in economically hard times, people still seek out ways to spend a Friday night in the comfort of a theatre show. And it’s a Titanic story, after all…
The Storyline of Boiler Room Six: a Titanic Story
Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story is a story of an underdog, and you can’t help but feel drawn to it even before the lights go up. It tells the true survivor story of Titanic stoker Frederick Barrett, who, along with many others, worked in the boiler rooms during the maiden voyage, tirelessly keeping the ship afloat for as long as possible, saving hundreds of lives while sacrificing their own.
Written and directed by Tom Foreman and performed by Charlie Sheepshanks, it’s a one-man show that is gripping, inspiring, and incredibly important.
My honest review of Boiler Room Six: a Titanic Story
I think one-man shows are incredibly hard to navigate, as everything depends entirely on one person. There are no dazzling stage props, no other cast members to save you if something goes awry, no time for costume changes, and no grandiose special effects to suit our increasingly short attention spans. Everything relies on one actor and the audience’s imagination.
I don’t watch many one-man shows, as I find them difficult to settle into, and Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story takes me around 20 minutes to fully immerse myself in the storyline. I’m trying to listen to the words while also imagining the action taking place, as well as the dialogues between characters who are distinct, yet played by the same person.
While I may have felt disconnected for the first 20 minutes, once I’m in the story, I feel myself becoming a part of it. I follow Frederick into the depths of the Titanic; I’m there with him when the ice strikes, when he chooses to keep the ship afloat instead of going up top to find a lifeboat, and when he is faced with death, reflecting on all the good that has happened in his life. All thanks to the incredible performance of Charlie Sheepshanks, who carries the show with raw emotion, humanity and a powerful moral clarity.
Who is this show for?
Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story is a show for everyone aged 12 and above. While I think teenage audiences might feel the show doesn’t have enough dazzle or spectacle, this does not take away from its message or the importance of watching it.
Having attended the production with a friend who had not been to a one-man show before, she, as well as I, found it interesting, different, and very much worth swapping casual Friday drinks at the pub for something with more substance, depth, and not overly time-consuming.
Boiler Room Six: a Titanic Story is currently on tour and is still on for Saturday, 18 April at Live Theatre, coming next to Darlington Hippodrome (Hipp at Hullabaloo) on June 13 with tickets available via darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk