City Hub’s Top 2024 Reviews: Titanique

At the end of 2024, we’re looking back on some of City Hub’s top reviews of the year – this includes our review of Titanique from October.

The Titanique goes down every night and, luckily for us, it comes back up every day to repeat one of the most uproariously funny shows Sydney has seen in years.

With direction, choreography and musical supervision by the original Los Angeles team of Tye Blue, Ellenore Scott and Nicholas James Connell respectively, it is brought to larger-than-life by a well matched Australian cast and support team.

For what started out as a small production in LA in 2017 and New York 2022, Titanique has made a sweep of American awards and this production from Michael Cassel and Eva Price is set to do the same here.

The premise for Titanique is an irreverent take on James Cameron’s blockbuster film Titanic, only this version of the story is hijacked by Celine Dion (Marney McQueen) who bombs every scene she can.

Oh yes, all of her songs are there as well, along with Jack (Drew Weston) and Rose (Georgina Hobson) as the ill-fated lovers, Stephen Anderson as Rose’s mother Ruth, Matt Lee with multiple roles as Victor Garber, the ship’s captain and Luigi, plus Abigail Dixon as the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown.

Abu Kebe plays the Titanic Museum guide, The Seaman and the” Iceberg”.

The script takes the film’s characters and blows them out of the water with exaggerations of their frailties, foibles and social positions and pits them against each other, while being forced to fit into Dion’s narrative of events.

While all of this is happening, the visage of Patti LuPone is also desperate to bomb Dion’s scenes.

McQueen is a commanding and demanding bitch of a Dion and has the vocal chops to back it up.

Weston and Hobson are perfectly cast with their chemistry palpable in their vocal duetting and are having a ball as they camp up Rose and Jack’s scenes from the film.

As Rose’s caddish and sexually ambiguous betrothed Cal Hockley, Keane Sheppard-Fletcher is not shy about letting the audience loathe him and plays the role with gusto.

Anderson as Rose’s mother shines in the role and has perfected the best bitch slap seen on stages in years.

Abigail Dixon as the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown is a newcomer who’s performance will ensure that she has a big future.

Another large performance are those from Abu Kebe across his various roles, but it is his version of “River Deep, Mountain High” that brings the house down.

While having support roles, great casting ensures that Jenni Little, Trent Owens and Jo-Anne Jackson all get to shine.

Helming the house band, musical director Hayden Barltrop is in charge of musicians who perfectly execute the tight score and to support the incredible vocals out front.

Titanique is an unashamedly gay romp through one of history’s greatest maritime tragedies, but it also never loses its heart. It’s such fun that I want to go down on her every night and come up each day, only to repeat and repeat.

Titanique
Grand Electric Theatre
Until December 1
https://titaniquemusical.com.au