New Play GHOSTS OF THE TITANIC
by Best of Theatre Staff on Wednesday 16 February 2022, 5:08 pm in Upcoming and New Shows
Blending fact and fiction together, this new drama set in the days after the sinking of the Titanic charts the swirling of rumours, political distraction tactics and fake news that followed. A bereaved woman trying to find out the truth about her fiancé’s death gets sucked into a maelstrom of questions: was the Titanic really as safe as it said it was – or was its state-of-the-art design actually riddled with mistakes? And were the engineers rushed to complete it by the rich and powerful owner? Did the needs of the insurers override the possibility of saving more souls? Even the basic ‘fact’ of an iceberg causing the fatal damage was up for debate. Written by Ron Hutchinson, whose grandfather worked as a shipfitter on the Titanic, Ghosts of the Titanic explores the issues of conspiracy theories and fake news that are still prevalent 110 years later.
On 14 April, 1912, the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic lay at the bottom of the Atlantic. Just four days earlier, the ship had departed for America with Emma Hinton’s beloved fiancé Henry on board. Henry, a passionate musician, had left the dock filled with happiness at landing his dream job in the ship’s orchestra. His dreams, and Emma’s, are tragically curtailed when the Titanic hits the iceberg and goes down. In the wake of this now-iconic accident, Emma tries to piece together the real story of what happened and who is to blame. But it’s a quest that will lead her to the edges of what her mind can bear. Is it sometimes better not to know?
Ghosts of the Titanic stars Genevieve Gaunt (Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), John Hopkins (Sir Francis Basset in Poldark 2017-18), and Lizzy McInnerny (Bobo Macdonald in The Crown). The cast is completed by Emmanuella Cole, Fergal McElherron and Clive Brill.
Brill Productions produces drama across theatre and radio. Run by Clive Brill, its most recent productions include G F Newman’s The Corrupted for BBC Radio 4, starring Toby Jones and Believe it for BBC Radio Comedy starring Richard Wilson. Ghosts of the Titanic will have set design by Beth Colley, who is currently on the shortlist for an OffWestEnd Award for her set design of Abigail’s Party, which Brill Productions presented at Park90 in 2021. Other Park90 shows from Brill Productions include Black Chiffon by Lesley Storm, starring Abigail Cruttenden (Offie nominated), Corpse! by Gerald Moon. Clive is also Producer and Artistic Director of Frinton Summer Theatre.
Ron Hutchinson is a writer from near Lisburn in Northern Ireland. A winner of the George Devine and John Whiting new writing awards, he was Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. His first play, Says I, Says He was produced in 1977 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield and since then his work has been performed at the Royal Court, National Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, Chicago and the Manhattan Theatre Club, among other venues. He is an Emmy-winning writer for television and Olivier Award nominated for Best New Play for Rat in the Skull. He has worked on feature films for Fox, Dreamworks, Sony and Universal, and has taught screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.
Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In eight years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Daytona starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, twenty-five national tours, five Olivier Award nominations, has won Offie Awards for Best New Play and Best Foodie Experience and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage. Park Theatre are grateful to all those who have donated to the Park Life fund, supporting the venue through the pandemic.