Admittedly, the recently opened musical comedy "Pluck - The Titanic Show," at the Bethesda Theatre, has a far-fetched premise. Three musicians aboard the infamous Titanic weave together familiar classical music melodies to recount their stories as the boat sinks. And it's a screwball comedy!
The British musical trio Pluck shapes this Edinburgh Fringe Festival favorite with their own breed of physical comedy and musical adeptness. Music seems to emerge organically from the scene, with each little song pushing the plot and the character's relationships.
However, without a substantive plot or creative staging, the musical never quite reaches the absurdist hilarity you'd expect of a musical comedy set aboard the Titanic - especially a British musical comedy at that. The show is certainly amusing and enjoyable, but all too often it felt as though the writers went for the easy punchline and the most generically-appealing ditty, instead of living up to the crazy quirkiness one would hope for in a musical of this nature. One would expect to feel disbelief or dismay or slightly appalled watching a musical comedy about the Titanic, but never be bored.
With only three musicians - violinist Adrian Garratt, Jon Regan and cellist Sian Kadifachi - and a movie screen projecting black and white images of the Titanic as the only real background, the show's story is simply told. It relies almost entirely on the actors' musicianship and the ribald physicality of their humor to hook the audience. While the musicians are clearly talented, performing classical pieces with near-acrobatics and the physical humor points to the Marx brothers, it's challenging to hinge a truly compelling show on just familiar music and slapstick comedy. These are elements that set the tone or provide comedic relief, but are very rarely the show itself. As a result, it's fun to go along with the show's premise, but the musical lacks that cathartic emotional arc or intense hilarity that makes live theater such a rewarding experience.
Each scene in "The Titanic Show" showcases different scenarios in which the musicians make music. In one scene, the three performers play a song while cheating in a card game. Even as the boat sinks, and the musicians careen from one end of the stage to the other in rollerblades to suggest the ship's verticality, the music persists. It is truly awe-inspiring to watch how these musicians keep up their tunes and the demanding physicality of the performance. These actors, it seems, can play their instruments in just about any situation or position.
However, instead of writing original music to create a uniquely whimsical tone, the show relies on popular classical favorites from throughout history. Certainly, the musical selections preserve a certain amount of realism, as they would have been the tracks played on board the Titanic. Yet, this is merely another way the show misses the mark it sets out for itself. With its premise the show could be truly original, but instead often feels like a lackluster musical review.
The show's creators never seem to indulge in the fictional world they've created, making directorial choices to please a broad audience rather than play up the show's delightful absurdity.
Enjoyable but a little bit boring, "The Titanic Show" makes for an easy laugh, but never really sets sail.
You can reach this staff writer at agoldstein@theeagleonline.com.
