REVIEW: Titanique - "outrageously gay"
There should be a trigger warning for Titanique the musical - it’s outrageously gay and leaves little to the fertile imagination.
Co-written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue, and directed by Tye Blue, it’s a sure-fire, 5-star romp with a laugh every few seconds and quick-fire one-liners that you have to listen out for.
We open in the Belfast Titanic Museum where the multi-talented, and now Olivier Award-winning Layton Williams is our camp tour guide.
He’s quickly interrupted by some old stooped bag lady, who instantly reveals herself as mega star Celine Dion - in a brilliant interpretation by understudy Kristina Walz.
Turns out Celine, who of course sang the Titanic film theme tune, was on the sinking ship - making her 150 at least - but what the hell this is a musical! And so we step on to the rollercoaster of the show - at our own peril.
Also turns out the captain is gay, heroine Rose’s mother is a cross-dressing bear, hero Jack is gay when it suits him as is Rose’s vile fiancée Cal. And when Layton doubles as a seaman (with all its double entendre pronunciation jokes) and then he transforms into the iceberg in the shape of first Tina Turner and then RuPaul, your joy is compete.
It’s just 100 minutes of total craziness, with a small stunning cast that can sing each other off the stage.
The night I saw it there were two understudies - the second being Madison Swan for Molly Brown, as played in the film by Kathy Bates. There’s a lot of crossover with the film as Darren Bennett plays the Captain and Titanic’s builder and also plays the actor who played him in the film - Victor Garber. Confused? Get over it.
The matinee idol lookalike Rob Houchen is terrific as Jack - with great comic timing. As Rose - Kat Ronney - stays afloat strapped to a huge door and sings plaintively, Jack is coughing and spluttering in the freezing ocean water - it’s a visually comic knock-out.
Kristina as Celine is just pitch perfect, sharp, witty and interrupting everyone one else’s songs to keep the spotlight.
Madison Swan as the unsinkable Molly has one great moment singing All By Myself - worth the price of admission alone.
There is absolutely no weak link in this show. Stephen Guarino is a burly, camp, no-nonsense Ruth (Rose’s mother) - brusque, brutal and bitchy.
Both Ronney and Houchen have top notes to die for - though hopefully not in the Atlantic at night.
Layton Williams is a brilliant Tina and his River Deep Mountain High brings the house down.
Can Celine save the day and change history? Go see for yourself. It’s the most fun you’ll have in the West End this year- and look out for Rose’s aubergine.
Titanique is playing at London’s Criterion Theatre
