TITANIC - THE INQUIRY
“Iceberg, right ahead!” The immortal words spoken at 11.39pm, on 14th April 1912, by look-out Frederick Fleet that signalled the beginning of the end of the White Star Line steamship, RMS Titanic.
‘Titanic – The Inquiry’ is based on act three of Ovation’s 2012 drama ‘Iceberg Right Ahead’. Aside from the Attorney General, the characters are all passengers and crew who sailed on the Titanic’s maiden voyage and gave evidence at the British Inquiry into the tragedy.
Some of the words are taken directly from the transcripts of both the American Enquiry and the British Inquiry.
Written by Chris Burgess and John Plews. Additional material: Dr Sam Willis.
RIGHTS
‘Titanic The Inquiry’ is available for both professional and amateur companies in the UK and the rest of the world.
If you would like to produce ‘Titanic The Inquiry’ please contact John at Ovation on: 44 (0) 7973 502 189
email: john@ovationproductions.com
APRIL 15th 2023 PERFORMANCE - THE 111th ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING
A rehearsed reading of ‘Titanic – The Inquiry’ was performed at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate. Following the reading John Plews led an audience discussion on all things Titanic.
Cast for the performance on 15th April 2023
Attorney General – John Plews
Frederick Fleet – Harry Curley
J. Bruce Ismay – John Newton
Violet Jessop – Eliza Shea
Reginald Lee / Robert Hitchens – Edward Hayes-Neary
Molly Brown / Ettie Dean – Helen Goldwyn
Director – John Plews
AUGUST 17th & 18th 2024 PERFORMANCES
The show was also produced by Ovation at Upstairs at the Gatehouse on 17th & 18th August 2024 as part of the Camden Fringe Festival with the following details:
Titanic – The Inquiry
Written by Chris Burgess and John Plews
Cast for this performance
ATTORNEY GENERAL – Sir Rufus Isaacs (representing the Board of Trade) – John Plews
Members of the Garden Suburb Theatre:
FREDERICK FLEET (24, lippy Liverpudlian, a look-out) – Liam Wells
REGINALD LEE (41, Oxfordshire, sweet natured, a look-out) – Edwin Coutts
CHARLES LIGHTOLLER (38, most senior surviving officer) – John Colmans
LADY LUCY DUFF-GORDON (48, 1st Class passenger, wife of Sir Cosmo) – Debbie Lane
J. BRUCE ISMAY (49, self-satisfied, owner of the ship) – David Lane
VIOLET JESSOP (24, Irish heritage, First Class Stewardess) – Shirley Ryder
ROBERT HICHENS (29, fiery Cornishman, quartermaster) – Steve Chapman
MARGARET (MOLLY) BROWN (44, 1st class passenger, forthright American) – Miranda Cheeseman
ETTIE DEAN (32, 3rd class passenger, Londoner, ex-pub landlady) – Mary Musker
Thanks to:
Annlouise & Isaac (Upstairs at the Gatehouse)
Zena & Michelle (Camden Fringe Festival)
Mary Musker (Garden Suburb Theatre)
Michael Kingsbury (White Bear Theatre)
Dr Sam Willis (Additional material and 3D animation)
Director – John Plews
Lighting – Alastair Warr
Graphics – Katie Plews
Stage Manager – Fay Franklyn
Produced by Ovation
REVIEWS
Titanic – The Inquiry – Review by Dave Winskill
It is over a century since lookout Frederick Fleet, high in Titanic’s crow’s nest, reported “Iceberg, right ahead”. Seconds later, there was “… a slight jar followed by a grinding sound.” The tragic events that followed caused the drowning of over 1500 souls. Maritime safety rules were changed, reputations were ruined, and lives would continue to be affected long after the last funeral.
The sinking would spur a morbid fascination that has been fed by plays, films, documentaries, a lucrative trade in Titanic memorabilia, dozens of dedicated websites, wacky conspiracy theories and an entire publishing genre. John Plews (a longtime Titanorak) with his writing partner Chris Burgess produced “Iceberg Right Ahead” to commemorate the centenary of the sinking: this new show at Upstairs at the Gatehouse is based on the third act which, in turn, drew on much material taken from the transcripts of the contemporaneous American and British Inquiries.
It opens with an excellent and helpful animation explaining the design, construction and vulnerabilities of the great liner and continues with an engrossing, part-dramatized examination of surviving sailors, passengers and the extremely unsavoury owner, J Bruce Ismay. Little of what emerges is revelatory. Many lives could have been saved if the original complement of lifeboats had not been reduced in favour of more deck space for 1st Class passengers. Class divisions largely defined who was saved and who perished. The lookout’s binoculars were locked away in a cupboard! The desperately moving accounts of the actual sinking, the terrible cries from within the vessel, retain the power to shock – and this is where the clout of the show rests.
The amateur cast from the Garden Suburb Theatre brought a raw authenticity and passion to the telling of this dark story.
TV and film can excel in documenting the facts. But, like so many other recent theatrical works that give voice to those involved (Grenfell: in the words of the survivors) Titanic – The Inquiry allowed us to hear first-hand of what it was like to be there and of the trauma that affected so many families for decades.
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