Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.There is of course only one thing wrong with Titanic, the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster movie, and it’s that there’s just not enough Céline Dion in it. At least that’s the opinion of Dion, as portrayed in Titanique — one earworm ballad in the shape of “My Heart Will Go On” doesn’t cut it for her — and she’s about to put things straight. Well, as straight as they’ll ever be in this delirious musical spoof (which first emerged in 2017 in LA and has since docked around the world, including off-Broadway). Working from the mad premise that the French-Canadian singer was actually aboard the doomed vessel, along with a sack-load of her hits, Titanique sets sail with crazed bravado and, happily, arrives at its destination. Factual objections have no place here — when a character points out that this would make Dion 150 years old, she simply waves them away with the confidence of one borne afloat by the irrepressible mischief of camp parody and the iron rules of musical theatre, whereby if you have a band on board, it would be rude not to use them. So we bobble along, hitting the key notes of the film’s plot — Rose (posh and gorgeous) and Jack (poor but gorgeous) fall in love, her (grasping) mother despairs, her (controlling) fiancé rages, and the boat, complete with its microcosm of society, hits an iceberg. The iceberg, incidentally, is played by Tina Turner — why not? — as depicted, sensationally well, by Layton Williams. Meanwhile, Dion cheerfully masters the art of photobombing, 1912-style, by inserting herself into every critical moment, popping up just as the lovers lean in for a kiss or draping herself in front of the naked Rose as Jack sketches her.It’s all outrageous, epically silly and ridiculously over the top, combining jukebox musical logic with Airplane!-style parody and sprinkling oodles of sequins on top. Some gags have been updated for this UK premiere (the TV show The Traitors gets several look-ins, for example).It’s nearly sunk in places by its cargo of insistent one-liners and heavyweight double entendres and as satire goes, it sticks firmly to the shallows. But by the end, the cumulative effect is irresistible, especially when delivered by a cast so sharply on their game and possessed of such blazing voices. Kat Ronney as Rose and Rob Houchen as Jack bring spit-spot timing, and, remarkably, manage to draw genuine drama out of all the mayhem. Williams sizzles in several roles, including a guide in a Titanic museum, Charlotte Wakefield as Molly Brown stops the show with her rendition of “All By Myself” and Stephen Guarino, as Rose’s embittered mother, keeps up a tart meta-commentary about the shoestring budget and the goings-on in other musicals.And Céline Dion? Well Lauren Drew’s winningly affectionate portrayal deploys kooky charm, the infectious energy of a golden labrador on an autumn walk, and a voice that could de-ice a plane. By the time she leads the whole audience in a chorus of the imperishable lead song, you’d need a heart like an iceberg to resist. ★★★★☆Booking to March 30, titaniquemusical.com
