(4 / 5)
We think we know all about the tragic story of the Titanic. Told through many films, productions and documentaries, this disaster continues to unearth story after story, but we still think we know the bare bones. But in this fantastic production, we learn so much more.
A one man show based on the true account from survivor Frederick Barrett, we learn so much more about the final hours of the Titanic from a working class stoker. Down in the stomach of the great vessel, this is where it claimed some of its first victims to the icy seas and we see this recounted through storytelling and immense physical theatre.
The set is very simple, atmospheric and ideal for telling this story. With only a couple of benches and watery lighting that changes to red with the ship lighting, while we may never know what this part of a ship looks and feels like, we get a very good sense of it. We feel like we’re in the belly, in the hot and cramped conditions and instantly amongst the events with Barrett and the stokers.
Performed by one actor, his physicality throughout this is impressive. Mainly, we are seeing the story from Barrett’s point of view, but he occasionally switches into other characters seamlessly. They’re subtle changes, whether that’s vocally, with an accent or a little physical change, and so we get to know these other characters very quickly. We see the comradery prior to the iceberg and we get a sense of these people which makes the tragedies all the more poignant.
When the iceberg hits, the change in pace is immediate and we get the sense of urgency. The performer’s ability to be able to do this whole production must be exhausting and he throws every bit of himself into it. With the little staging, he moves around the space somehow painting images of a ladder, of higher up, of the water coming in, of the corridors and we can see it so clearly in front of us. For us, this whole production is very real thanks to the performers ability to not only story-tell but to create an imaginary set in front of our eyes. Our heartstrings are pulled at incessantly, as we suddenly see these characters we’ve gotten to know disappear. We feel genuine grief at this and sit in the guilt Barrett feels for fighting the odds and surviving. This is all thanks to setting the scene, to creating these characters and immersing us in the story effortlessly.
Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story is a feat of a one man performance, creating the scene with only physicality and atmospheric lighting. It is emotionally charged thanks to fantastic acting ability featured and successfully tells a new version of the well known tragic event.
